FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Galia - year 1149.

Far from Roud, in the south-eastern province of Lanea, there once existed a small village called St. Belaroix. It was a quiet settlement of no more than forty or fifty houses, a central plaza and a somewhat run-down church. Rustic horse-drawn wagons slowly creaked their way along its dusty streets of rock and dirt, as the villagers went about their daily routines.

Past the southern border of the village, beyond where the roads ended, a thick forest began. Unexplored and untamed, the wilderness stretched for miles into the distance, free from the touch of man. Legends told of strange creatures lurking within, prowling in the shadows, watching over the woods with their demonic eyes, always ready to attack any intruders who would dare disturb their territory with their unwelcome presence.

Except for a few hunters eager to prove their manliness on a dare, or the occasional stumbling drunkard, not many had set foot within those woods. But of those who had, two or three claimed seeing those creatures of legend with their very own eyes. Although none could catch more than a fleeting glimpse, they seemed to agree that they were half man, half beast, with piercing amber eyes that glowed in the darkness. Soon, one word was whispered among anyone who had listened to them: werewolves.

Everyone feared werewolves. It was said that they were creatures of the dark who preyed upon the weak, with a disturbing preference for the flesh and blood of young virgin women. Whenever the carcass of a farm animal was found torn wide open, it was blamed on them. And any time a woman was reported missing, it was always the unholy work of a werewolf. At one point, an armed expedition was assembled with the intent of entering the forest to hunt them down. For days they roamed, but the search proved to be futile. Not a single werewolf was found. However, more than one man in that expedition later said that they had felt as though there were unseen eyes trained on them the entire time...

Elise was a lovely young girl of about eighteen springs of age. She had lived all her life in the outskirts of the village, close to the border past which the mystery-filled wilderness began. Her only family was her mother, a seamstress with whom she lived in a small house near the end of the road. Youthful yet quiet, she liked spending her time practicing her mother's craft, immersing herself in the fantasy worlds depicted in her storybooks, and tending to her garden, growing flowers she would later sell for a few coins each. Money was tight, so any extra income, however small, was always welcome.

One day, Elise was headed to the main plaza to run some errands and perhaps add a new storybook or two to her collection. The sun shone bright and birds chirped about. Some horses lazily grazed along the road as she passed them by. An elderly neighbor somewhere waved hello to her, and she waved back with a friendly smile. Indeed, it was just a regular day in the village, like any other... until a faint sound coming from the woods caught her attention.

Stopping her march, she turned her head toward the wilderness extending past the fence to her left. What was that sound? Did it truly come from the woods? Looking every which way, she saw no one else nearby. Then, she heard it again, and it definitely had come from beyond the trees in the distance! It was a whine. A pitiful whimper, like that of a distressed puppy. At first she tried to ignore it, but... she couldn't. She simply couldn't.

Against her better judgment, Elise climbed over the fence and cautiously began to make her way toward the woods. Again, another pained whimper reached her ears, spurring her onwards. Soon she walked past a tree, and another, and then four more... Gingerly she made her way around some bushes and yet more trees as the leafy canopy overhead grew thicker and thicker, dimming the sunlight. Just as it began to dawn on her how unwise it might have been to go any farther, she finally saw it.

Before her eyes lay a wolf cub, small and vulnerable. A bear trap was clamped shut around one of its rear legs.

“Oh, my goodness!" quietly whispered the young girl to herself.

Scared, the little cub locked eyes with her and began to growl, baring its tiny fangs.

“Easy, easy there," said the girl as she cautiously approached the frightened wolf cub. “I can take that off, but I need you to trust me, little one."

The wounded cub did not cease its growling, but Elise kept advancing, one step at a time, lowering herself closer to the ground as if to appear less threatening.

“I know you are in pain, but I can help you," she tried. “I can take it away, if you'd let me."

Gradually, the cub's instinctive aggression seemed to recede. Its growling stopped, and the expression on its face appeared to soften somewhat. Deep amber eyes stared into Elise's blue ones for long seconds, as if trying to see into her very soul through them.

“Will you trust me?" she quietly asked as she cautiously extended a hand toward the cub.

Sniff, sniff, went the small ball of dark grey fur as it took in Elise's scent. And then it gave her hand a lick with a tiny flick of its tongue. The young girl relaxed, seeing that she had managed to gain the trust of the little one.

“Alright, let's take this thing off," she said as she went to work on removing the bear trap. “I'll try to be very careful, but it's still probably going to hurt some."

And so, she grabbed the iron jaws of the trap and began to pull them apart. It took some exertion on her part, but she was able to pry them open just far apart enough for the cub to get its leg off their cruel, unfeeling bite. Once free, the little wolf cub began to lick the injury on its leg. Elise took her handkerchief and carefully wrapped it around the bloody wound, to serve as a makeshift bandage of sorts.

“There you go. All better now," she gently said with a satisfied smile on her face.

The wolf cub sniffed at the bandage for a few moments, then cast its amber puppy eyes on her again for a few moments, as if to say 'thank you'. Finally, it scampered away into the woods, quickly disappearing among the bushes in the distance. Elise remained there for a few moments more, feeling glad that she was able to save that poor thing.

“I hope his leg heals well, so that he can grow big and strong. I wonder who even left that trap here anyway? A hunter?" she ventured. “Hmm, maybe they're still trying to catch werewolves or something, even though they don't exist. At least not outside storybooks."

Eventually, she stood up, turned around and went back to the village to go on with her day.

~*~

Three years later...

Elise, now a comely young woman, had seen happier days. Times had grown difficult for her, even more so after the death of her mother, who had succumbed a year prior to a rather aggressive lung infection. Even though she had taken odd jobs here and there, money was still tight, and she had trouble making ends meet. On many days, especially toward the end of the month, she would find herself having to choose between paying rent or putting food on her table. More often than not, she would choose not to starve.

Her landlord was a sleazy middle-aged man she only knew as Mr. Mordrick. He had a reputation for treating women like dirt, but since he had good connections, he was able to get away with nearly anything. Elise would have liked nothing more than to keep her distance from him, but she needed a roof to sleep under, so it simply could not be helped.

“You're late again, love," he said through disgusting, yellowed teeth, his breath rank with booze from the previous day.

“Ah, yes, money was tight this month, and—"

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Money is tight. Money is always tight," he said dismissively, blowing the smoke of his cigar on her face. “Y'know, someone as pretty as you should have no problem making money. Have you thought about that? I know people who would be more than willing to lend you a hand, heheheh..."

She shuddered as she saw the greasy balding man looking her up and down. There was something deeply unnerving in the manner he grinned at her.

“H-here's the rent money, Mr. Mordrick," she hurriedly said, quickly extending a hand with a number of coins on it while reflexively covering her bosom with the other, as if to hide it from his lecherous sight.

“I was just saying!" he said, laughing as he took the money. “One always has to consider all their options, right, love?"

Nodding half-heartedly, she quickly stammered her good-bye and left. Hopefully she wouldn't see that disgusting man again for at least one more month.

One day, not too long after that exchange, Elise returned home to a destroyed garden. All her flowers were stomped flat. Every potted plant, smashed to pieces. Dismayed, she asked around, but it was useless. No one had seen or heard anything, or so they claimed. The poor girl was in tears. Her only source of income, gone. Just gone. She'd have to start over from scratch.

That month she failed to pay her rent, and again the following month. Even after selling all her books, she still couldn't gather enough money to pay her landlord and still be able to put food on her table. And as for said landlord...

Mr. Mordrick began to visit the poor girl about once a week to accost her and demand payment. However, strangely enough, he seemed more amused than angry, even cracking inappropriate jokes, as if he was enjoying himself with Elise's plight. The latter was almost at the end of her rope. She could hardly stomach Mordrick's gross sense of humor and lurid insinuations anymore. And, of course, she never felt safe around him.

“I have to leave this village and start over somewhere else," she resolved. “But I'll need money. I don't know how, but I have to save enough to at least make the trip to the next town over. Maybe if I started selling the furniture... Ah, I would even go as far as to sleep on the floor if that meant I would never have to see that disgusting man ever again in my life."

But that was easier said than done. Selling her furniture would have taken her weeks that she didn't have. To make things worse, Mordrick's pressure mounted as he began to see her almost daily...

“All I'm saying is, I'd hate having to kick out someone as pretty as you," said the awful man on his last visit, grinning. “You wouldn't last three days on the streets, love. That's why you have to pay."

“I'm sorry, Mr. Mordrick! I'll pay! I-it's just— My garden..."

“Ah, yes, a true pity what happened to your garden, my dear. A real shame, indeed," he said with mock concern. “I wonder who could be so nasty as to do such a thing? And to think your livelihood depended on it. What a disgrace... *tsk, tsk, tsk*. But these are the times we live in, love! It's a tough world, and you not paying me on time is no good for my business. You understand that, right?"

“I— I do! I'll get you the money, Mr. Mordrick; I swear! J-just give me one more week, please!"

“I already gave you enough weeks, don't you think? I'm a patient man, but there's a limit to everything. If you don't pay up now, you might as well start packing up your things. I don't have time to deal with deadbeats."

“Please!" she begged with tears streaking down her face. “My savings are gone, and I barely have enough money for food! Please, have mercy!"

His odious grin grew wider.

“Well... I do hate to see a lovely girl like you crying," he said, putting out his cigar on the ground and pushing Elise inside the house. “Maybe we can still reach an agreement that will benefit us both."

Closing the door behind him, the vile landlord grabbed a very shocked Elise by her arms.

“I can be generous, love," he said to her. “I can forget your debt entirely! All you'd have to do is one thing, and one thing only..."

He put one of his despicable hands on her trembling cheek, caressing it softly as he leaned in.

“Be a good girl and take off your clothes."

And that was it.

Something inside Elise took ahold of her, and she moved almost by reflex. Before she understood what had happened, her knee was already deep in the man's crotch. Mr. Mordrick made a strange guttural sound as his face scrunched up, contorting in a pain most terrible. He soon collapsed to the ground, clutching his privates as if his life depended on it.

“Youuu... biiitch..." he painfully exclaimed through clenched teeth.

Elise did not stay to see the man struggle to stand back up. Not sparing a single second, she ran out of the house, climbed over the fence in the back and fled to the woods. She ran and ran through the forest, and then she ran some more. The farther away she could get from that horrible man, the better, and so she just ran.

Eventually, somewhere among the endless sea of trees, she slowed to a stop and collapsed to the ground. Sitting back against the trunk of a tree, Elise began to cry, her sorrowful tears pouring freely. Inconsolably. She sobbed for many long minutes, thinking her life was over.

By then she already knew her horrible landlord had been behind the destruction of her garden. Perhaps he had paid someone to do it, or he did it himself. But that didn't matter anymore. Mordrick had friends in positions of power, and Elise knew she had no hope of fighting that kind of corruption. Had she tried, chances were she would have had ended up serving jail time for assaulting that detestable man. Truly, she had lost everything, and so she cried her endless lament of anguish deep in the forest.

It was already late in the afternoon, and sunlight was beginning to grow scarce. And yet Elise hadn't moved from her spot under the tree. With both hands on her face, she quietly sobbed her despair out.

A rustling of leaves.

Elise raised her head. There, among some nearby trees, something stared at her through amber eyes. Instantly, her blood froze in her veins. Concealed by a veil of shadows, she couldn't quite see what it was. All she could see was a pair of beastly eyes transfixed on her.

The young woman dared not utter a single word, much less move a muscle. Frozen rigid was she, as those unblinking eyes continued to gaze at her. And then they began to move. Slowly, the creature walked forward and emerged from the shadows, revealing its form to the frightened girl.

“A— a wolf..." she quietly gasped.

Indeed, it was a wolf. A rather large one, covered in a coat of dark grey fur. Slowly it approached her, its eyes still staring into her soul. Elise was paralyzed with fear. She knew she had no chance of outrunning an adult wolf, especially one that big. Why, that ferocious-looking beast was almost the size of a small horse! Panic coursed through her mind. Was that how she was going to meet her end? Would its fangs be the last thing she'd ever see, as it lunged toward her throat?

But the wolf didn't seem to have intentions of attacking her. Instead, it stopped its march only a few feet before reaching her, and then it turned to its right. Elise gasped as she noticed something tied to the beast's left hind leg... It was her old handkerchief!

“You... are that wolf cub from three years ago!" she exclaimed, surprised.

The wolf simply stared at her. Unblinkingly. Then it reached back and took a flap of the handkerchief in its mouth. With two or three pulls, the bow tying it came undone and the handkerchief fell off the wolf's leg. And so, the large beast picked up the old piece of fabric off the ground and held it hanging from its mouth. Then it turned its head back to Elise and closed the short distance to her. Once it was right next to her, it simply sat down and looked at her, handkerchief in mouth.

“You are... giving it back to me?" she said as she stared at the beast in disbelief.

The big wolf simply gazed at her with its striking amber eyes.

Cautiously, Elise reached toward the wild creature. The wolf remained still. There didn't appear to be any ill intent in its eyes, or at least that's what she wanted to believe. Finally, she grabbed the handkerchief, and the wolf let go of it so she could take it. Looking at it closely, she couldn't believe the beast had hung onto it for so long. That was three whole years of it being worn on its leg! Might the wolf have been waiting for a chance to return it to her hands?

“Looks like your leg healed just fine," she said as she glanced at his rear leg. It was indeed in healthy condition, as far as she could tell. Only a scar remained, but that was it.

“You seem to be doing great, little wolf," she said longingly. “Ah, but I can't call you that anymore, can I? You are certainly anything but little now!"

Elise had calmed down somewhat. Her tears had stopped. The sun was beginning to set, but she didn't seem too concerned about it.

“I envy you," she said in a tone that seemed more like a confession. “You don't have to worry about money, being harassed by your horrible landlord, or whether or not you might end up starving to death on the streets. Here, you live free. I am not that lucky."

Again, her eyes began to well up.

“My life is over, wolf. I lost it all, and I no longer have a place to return to. I might as well be dead."

The wolf simply stared at her with its silent amber eyes.

“Ah, how I wish I could be like you, to just run free in the woods, oblivious to the corruption of this wretched world. But it's over. I don't have a future anymore. Now, all that remains is pain."

Her tears flowed freely once more, but the wolf only stared at her.

“How I wish someone would come and take me somewhere far away, wolf, so that I could not be hurt anymore," she said, her voice cracking. “But that's just wishful thinking, isn't it? The truth is, the world simply doesn't care about me. I'm alone, and no one... not a single soul cares enough to hear my voice."

And then she fell silent, shedding her tears of sorrow and despair as she looked into the distance with resigned eyes. But right at that moment, a voice suddenly pierced through the silence:

“I care, and I hear you, vanni."

Elise's eyes snapped wide open in shock as she turned her head back toward the wolf. She was speechless. The large animal was still staring at her, but something was different. Then, before the shocked woman could even think of saying anything, the dark beast began to stand on its hind legs right before her eyes; its whole body shifting and changing into something vaguely human-like that towered above her. Finally, before her terrified eyes stood a tall creature of darkness that was a cross of man and wolf. Strong, broad muscle bulged under a thick coat of dark grey fur, and long, sharp claws made to rend flesh crowned the fingers of big, powerful hands. Truly, nothing could have stopped this monster from tearing her apart, if so he wished.

“Come with me, and you will hurt no more."

But Elise couldn't hear those words. How could she have? Her eyes were filled with the fearsome form of the beastly wolf-demon! The legends were true! What stared at her through the otherworldly glow of those amber eyes was nothing other than a werewolf!

“S-stay back!" she begged as she scrambled to get away from the nightmarish creature.

Finally, her survival instincts took ahold of her and she began a mad dash toward the border of the forest, hoping against hope that the monster wouldn't catch up with her before she could reach the safety of the village. Indeed, she wasn't even thinking about her landlord anymore. That's how stricken with a primal fear she was. But the werewolf simply watched her go, not making even the slightest attempt to give chase to her.

~*~

“That bitch... She'll regret what she did!" muttered Mordrick to himself as he looked for Elise.

It was starting to get dark, but the vengeful balding man didn't care. He wanted nothing more than to make that woman pay for what she had done. He would stop at nothing to crush her beneath his heels and teach her her place.

He was making his way through the outer part of the forest with a petrol lantern in hand and a blunderbuss hanging to a side of his belt. The few prints from Elise's sandals he had seen on the ground seemed to lead into the woods, but the grass had grown thicker the further away he walked from the village, and he could not find any more prints. Yet he still continued his search.

“Oh, I'm done playing games with that little whore. She better pray I don't find her, because if I do, I'll make her wish she was never born!"

As the twilight hours began, Mordrick's search came to a sudden and unexpected end when Elise herself crashed into him. So scared was she, she hadn't even seen the man among the trees in her desperate race to safety!

“YOU..." he began, grabbing her by her wrist so hard it hurt her.

“M-Mr. Mordrick!" she stammered in a panic. “T-there's a w—"

But she couldn't finish her sentence, as he pushed her face against the trunk of a tree. Then he leaned closer and hissed into her ear:

“Now you'll see what I do to women who misbehave! You better be ready, because this is going to hurt!"

Throwing her onto the ground, he put a boot on her back and started to tear off her blouse with his bare hands. Elise cried desperately as she struggled to get away, but this time there was no escaping Mordrick's ruthless grasp.

“Ah, yes! Scream all you want! No one can hear you here anyway!" he gloated as he began to unbuckle his belt.

And then, a shadow shot through the air, striking Mordrick in the chest and sending him flying off Elise's back. The young woman quickly turned around to see a tall figure right in front of her, standing on two large canine feet with his back to her.

“Run, vanni," he commanded just as Mordrick stood back up, blunderbuss in hand.

“What in the seven circles of hell??" exclaimed the man as he beheld the nightmarish form of the wolf-beast.

“You will hurt her no more!" declared the werewolf, and then he howled as he leapt toward the armed landlord, claws extended and fangs in full display of wrathful rage.

Elise was in shock. She couldn't make sense of anything anymore! But as the man and the beast collided in a fierce clash of claws and gunfire, she understood what she had to do. And so she began to run away, leaving beast and man behind.

Another gunshot exploded in the early evening as Mordrick defended himself from the onslaught of the lupine were-beast. He didn't come unscathed, as there were crimson claw marks streaking across his chest, but his aim was nonetheless true. The werewolf landed on one knee, clutching the side of his body, where his dark fur had been tinted red with his blood. Not wasting a moment, Mordrick cocked his blunderbuss once more, taking aim at the wounded beast.

Letting out another howl, the werewolf dashed toward the man, but he could not reach him before the trigger was pulled. And thus, a third gunshot echoed through the night. Mordrick held the smoking blunderbuss in his hands as he saw the dark monster collapse to the ground. Blood was pouring out from the stomach of the beast, matting his fur.

The wounded werewolf no longer had the strength to stand back on his feet, and so he just lay there, clutching his stomach in pain. Mordrick approached him and pointed the barrel of the blunderbuss to his furred chest.

“Go back to hell, monster!" he yelled, and then—

CRACK!!

Mordrick promptly slumped to the ground like a ragdoll. Behind him stood a young woman with a torn blouse and a large rock in her hands!

~*~

“Oh, god..." exclaimed Elise.

The werewolf had reverted to his wolf form shortly after Mordrick had collapsed, and appeared to teeter precariously at the edge of unconsciousness; his labored breathing a testament to the searing pain ravaging his insides. The young girl had tried to drag the lupine beast away from the fallen landlord, but she could only get so far before she was exhausted. Even as a wolf, the creature was still quite heavy.

“I'm sorry!" she spoke through tears. “You got hurt badly because of me! A-and now you—"

“Do not cry, vanni," said the wolf with his dark, yet gentle voice. “I am not going to die tonight."

“But... y-your wounds..."

“Mother protects us. She will heal my wounds," he calmly stated. “Look, she is already here. She always watches over us with her silver light."

And then he gazed upwards. Elise followed his gaze past the gaps in the treetops and into the night sky, until she saw the white disc of the full moon shining above. Its rays reached them both. Soon, the bleeding stopped and the wounds closed, pushing the rounds outside the body of the wolf. The young runaway woman could not believe her eyes!

Standing back up on his four legs, the large wolf shook his body from head to tail, then turned to look at his flank. A few scars were all that remained of the bullet wounds.

“Twice you have saved me, vanni," he said to Elise. “Twice I am in your debt."

And then he bowed respectfully to her; something that took her by surprise. Then he turned around, noticing the trail of blood he had left behind when she dragged him away from Mordrick. The latter still lay motionless where he had fell, some distance away from them. The wolf sniffed the air as he cautiously approached the fallen man. Elise clutched the blunderbuss that she had taken from him as a precaution.

Finally, the dark beast stood before the man. And only after a few moments, he turned to Elise and declared:

“He breathes no more. You are free, vanni."

Elise was horrified. She had killed a man! Of course, it was not her intention, even though it happened because she had to save the one who had saved her... But the knowledge of having taken a life was still a most difficult burden to bear, regardless of circumstances. And thus, covering her mouth with both hands, she dropped to her knees as the wolf calmly walked toward her.

“N-no, I... I didn't mean to— I... I'm a murderer!" she said between sobs.

“He was going to hurt you, defile you and kill you, vanni. I saw the intent in his eyes. He had resolved to end you tonight, after he had satisfied his lustful desires. Cry not for that man, for he only got what he rightfully deserved, and nothing more."

“B-but..." she sobbed still, “he wasn't just any man! He had powerful friends! I'll be thrown in jail for this!"

“My offer still stands," the wolf said. “I can take you somewhere far away, where no one else could ever hurt you again. Follow me, and it shall be done."

And then, the big, dark wolf slowly walked away into the woods. After a few moments, Elise got up, wiped her tears and quickly caught up with him. It was not like she had anywhere else to go to anyway.

~*~

Under the light of the full moon, Elise and the wolf made their way deeper and deeper into the forest. Somehow, she wasn't scared anymore. Despite her being somewhere in the deepest recesses of the forest at night, far away from home, she felt safe in the company of the canid beast.

“Where are we going?" she eventually asked.

“To my temporary den, vanni. It is only a bit farther ahead. We will be there shortly," he replied in his dark, but still gentle voice. “Once there we can talk more about what my offer entails."

“Alright, though I must ask... what is a 'vanni'? I noticed you keep calling me that."

“You are a vanni, just as I am a lycca."

“Oh..." said Elise as she pondered over those words. “So, 'lycca' is 'werewolf'... which means 'vanni' must be the lyccan word for 'human'! Do I have this right?"

“I am afraid you do not. 'Vanni' is not all humans. 'Vanni' is only the type of human who is able to give birth to other humans."

“Oh! So 'vanni' means 'woman'!"

“That might seem like it is a close match, but there is more to it. I will explain later, once we have arrived to my temporary den."

“Alright," said the young woman as she kept her pace next to the large wolf.

At one point, Elise decided that she no longer wanted to carry Mordrick's blunderbuss around. She didn't know whether it still had rounds left or not, but she had no desire to find out. Since she had never handled a firearm in her life before, she was wary of the one she was holding onto. On the other hand, she couldn't just drop it on the ground, where it could kill an animal unlucky enough to step on it wrong. Luckily, a solution presented itself when the twosome passed by a river. Not thinking twice, Elise threw the weapon into the flowing waters, where it promptly sank. She also took that opportunity to examine her sandals. The two had been walking for a long time now, and her feet began to hurt...

Suddenly, the big beast stopped and crouched low to the ground.

“Huh? What's wrong?" asked Elise, confused.

“Please accept my apologies, vanni. I did not consider you might not be used to walking these long distances, especially this late in the night, and after shedding so many tears. Please climb on my back. I shall carry you the rest of the way."

“Oh. Well, if it doesn't bother you..."

“It does not. On the contrary, it would be an honor."

“Alright, if you say so."

Thus, Elise climbed atop the wolf. Truly it was almost like riding a pony, except the fur was considerably thicker and wilder. Once she had settled, the wolf resumed his march.

“By the way, my name is Elise," she told him.

“Am I allowed to call you that?"

“I— what? Y-yes, of course you are!

“Thank you, Elise-vanni. I am honored that you would grant me permission to speak your name."

“I, uh, you're welcome?" she said, beginning to realize that the wolf seemed to hold her in very high regard, treating her almost as though she was a queen. She briefly wondered if the fact that she had saved him from that bear trap three years prior had something to do with it. “So... I've told you my name. What's yours?"

“I cannot say, for I do not have a name yet."

“Oh? How come you don't have a name?"

“A lycca remains without a name until he meets a vanni, and she bestows one upon him. It is one of our most sacred traditions."

Elise raised her eyebrows, confused.

“So, you don't get names until a woman— a human woman gives you one?"

“Yes, that is correct, Elise-vanni," answered the wolf.

“Then... would that mean I could give you a name?"

“Yes, indeed. And receiving a name from a vanni is a high honor among lycca. Were you to give me a name now, I would be very happy."

“Well... how about 'Fang'? It's short and to the point. I think it would suit you."

“Fang... Simple, yet powerful. I would be honored to carry that name."

“Then Fang it is!"

“Thank you, Elise-vanni. Once more, I find myself indebted to you. I know not whether I would ever be able to repay you, but I promise you I will devote the rest of my life to trying."

“Fang, if you can truly deliver me from the misery of my life in the village, then that would be enough."

“Yes... I can do that, and I will, but... Well, we will talk more about that later. Perhaps after we have filled your stomach," said the wolf.

“Well, I am starving..."

“Ah, you will not be starving for much longer. Look. We have arrived. This is my temporary den."

~*~

The cave was spacious enough to fit the two of them comfortably. Soon, Elise found herself sitting on the ground, relieving the void in her stomach with the jerky beef and fruit Fang had offered to her. The latter simply lay down and stared attentively at her with his wolfish amber eyes as she ate her fill. And once she was done...

“Now that you hunger no more, I believe I will explain to you what a vanni means to a lycca," he said, drawing her attention. “But first, I must offer you my apologies."

“Huh? What for?" she asked, cocking her head as she readjusted herself to better see the wolf.

“For being a monster," he simply said. “I did not mean to frighten you, Elise-vanni. Showing you my lycca form was a mistake I shall not repeat. You have my word that I will never again change into it in your presence."

“Oh..." she said, feeling a pang of guilt. “No, you are no monster, Fang. I was scared, yes, but that's only because I didn't understand. But now I know. The only monster in these woods today was Mordrick, not you."

“So... you forgive me?" he asked, showing a hint of vulnerability in his voice.

“No, because there's nothing to forgive. In fact, it's me who must apologize to you. After all, you almost died because of me."

“Had I died then, it would have been a most honorable death."

Elise then stood up and walked over to Fang, sitting right next to him.

“Let's just not talk about death anymore, okay? That whole thing with Mordrick... I'd rather forget it ever happened," she quietly said as she extended a hand toward his head, but then she stopped herself. “Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't even thinking! I just—"

“It is all right. You were doing nothing I would object to."

“So... I can pet you?"

“Of course you can. As vanni, it is your moon-given birthright and privilege."

Elise didn't quite understand all that 'vanni' talk. Fang clearly worshipped her, but she wasn't sure she deserved such devout worshipping. As far as she knew, she was nothing special. Just another girl of twenty-one springs of age like any other. Yet on the other hand, she had still saved the wolf when it was only but a little cub, and then again when Mordrick was about to kill him. How many other girls her age would have done the same in her place? How many of them would have cracked a rock on a man's head to save a werewolf? Not a lot, she figured. And so, while pondering over these things, she rested her hand atop Fang's head and began to gently scratch the fur behind his ears.

“You honor me," he said quietly, lowering his head over her lap and closing his eyes.

For some moments they simply sat there, the hand of the girl idly scratching behind lupine ears.

“Show me, Fang," she eventually said.

“Hm? What do you wish to see?"

“Your true form. Show it to me again. I promise I won't run away this time."

The wolf was curiously stunned.

“B-but... I had promised you that I—"

“I'm freeing you from that promise now. So, then, show me your true self again, so that I may conquer whatever fears I might still have."

“If that is your wish, then I will do it, Elise-vanni."

“Go ahead."

And so, the wolf walked a few steps away from the girl and slowly began to transform. Elise watched as Fang started to rise on his hind legs, his front ones shifting and stretching into human-like limbs as his muscles developed under his dark fur. His front paws changed into strong, clawed hands while his rear ones turned into larger, sturdier versions of their regular selves. His chest broadened with bulging pectoral muscles, and his abdominals became clearly visible even through the layer of fur. Only his head remained largely unchanged, except for the otherworldly glow in his amber eyes.

Elise was stunned, and more than a little bit frightened. Even somewhat hunched over as he was, and with his calves and feet retaining much of their original anatomy, Fang still towered over her comparatively smaller form. The werewolf must have been at least two heads taller than her, and twice as wide!

“I smell your fear, Elise-vanni," he said. “I shall change back."

“N-no, it's— it's fine," she quickly stated, surprising even herself. “I'll get used to it, you'll see. J-just give me time."

“As you wish."

Sitting on the ground, perhaps to appear less intimidating, Fang continued:

“Though perhaps I should say that neither of my forms could be called my 'true' one, for they are both one and the same. Despite what your eyes might tell you, underneath it all it is still me. After all, the soma is immutable."

“...'Soma'?" she repeated questioningly.

“Yes. Within every living creature lies what we call a soma. It's an invisible, intangible body within the body. It's the core of what we are. I believe the human word for it is 'soul'."

“I see..."

A moment of silence ensued.

“So..." said Elise. “I thought you were going to tell me something about vannis and lyccas?"

An uncomfortable rumble from the werewolf.

“Ah, yes, I suppose it is time."

It was clear that he was having second thoughts about what he was going to speak next. Elise noticed it in the way he had averted his gaze. Whatever it was, Fang was having a difficult time choosing the correct words for what he had to say. Eventually, though, he began:

“First of all, I want you to know that you are safe here. Despite what you will hear me say shortly, you have my word that I will not touch you. I will not even take a single step toward you without your consent."

“Um... A-alright..." said the confused girl, a hint of worry in her voice. She instinctively braced herself, both physically and mentally.

“I am afraid there is no easy way to explain this, so I will just say it. We, lycca and vanni, are intimately connected to one another. Lycca cannot exist without vanni, and vanni cannot truly be free without lycca. I believe humans call this a symbiotic relationship."

Elise simply listened attentively with a mixture of worry and fascination as Fang continued:

“All lycca are born male. There is no such thing as a female lycca. Therefore, lycca cannot be born from lycca. Lycca can only be born from vanni."

The young woman gasped silently, but said nothing.

“And that is why we worship you, vanni. You are the sacred creatures of legend without whom we would not exist. We are honored to be your knights, your vassals and your servants. We treat you like goddesses because that is exactly what you are to our eyes. It is what you deserve for granting us the endless honor of bearing our lycca children."

Fang said no more. He simply remained there, his gaze fixed on the ceiling of the cave.

“Fang, you... You intend to... s-sleep with me?" she asked, her voice now quivering with genuine concern for her own safety.

“If by that you mean mating, then the answer is no. Not without your consent."

Again, silence.

“But... you thought about it... didn't you?" she said. “You chose me to... to be your mate."

“Lycca do not choose their vanni. It is the vanni who choose their lycca, just as it was you who chose me."

“I... chose you?"

“Yes. You chose me when you shared your woes with me, after I returned your sacred bandage of healing to you. Then you chose me again when you saved me from that crazed man who wanted to defile you. And again, when you accepted to follow me here, to this temporary den of mine. And every time I promised myself I would do everything in my power so that I could be worthy of such high honors. But none of that entitles me to breed you. I understand your body is sacred, and belongs only to you. I am happy just by having you here, gracing me with your presence. I could not ask for more."

And once again, the silence.

Elise had much to think about. Fang clearly desired her, but he didn't seem like he had any intentions of forcing himself on her. And thank god for that! A beast as large and fearsome as he would have had no trouble at all bending her to his will. Truly, he looked like he could pin her down effortlessly with only one hand. He could have had his way with her any way he wanted, at any time, mercilessly crushing her under his beastly weight while ravaging her with his unyielding animalistic lust.

And yet he chose to remain still where he was, just sitting on the ground, silently gazing at the ceiling with his lupine eyes. Perhaps he was waiting for Elise's fears to recede. He certainly did not want to scare her anymore.

“Does this... happen often?" eventually ventured the young woman. “I mean... Do women like me— or 'vanni', as you say, truly accept to sleep with werewolves?"

Fang's ears flicked.

“It is said that once a year or so, a vanni will hear the call of the forest," he explained. “She would come to us, just as you came to me, and we would show her what it truly means to be free. And then..."

“...and then?"

“Well, she would be born anew, and she would be welcomed into the pack as one of us. A 'lycca-vanni', if you will. But we only present her with the choice. The final decision is and shall always be hers, and nobody else's."

“...Has anyone ever rejected that choice?" she asked.

“As far as I know, only a scarce few had rejected it across centuries."

Elise fell silent. Was she destined to mate with Fang? Picturing that huge beast mounting her was... scary, to say the least. No matter how gentle and caring Fang could be, a werewolf was still a werewolf. It just wasn't... what nature had built her for, she thought. The size difference between them was simply too daunting. Compared to him, she was so small and fragile. Indeed, he could easily break her without even meaning to!

While the conflicted runaway woman was lost in her conflicted runaway thoughts, Fang stood up and headed toward the cave's mouth. Elise took notice of this rather quickly, and she watched as the hulking wolf-beast approached the opening leading outside, walking on large canine feet. Just his gait alone made it clear how heavy he was.

“Come, Elise-vanni," he beckoned. “I would like to show you something."

After a fleeting moment of hesitation, she stood up and walked over to Fang. Although she still wasn't comfortable with getting too close to him physically, she remembered that the werewolf had given her his word that he would not touch her without her consent, and she wanted to trust him.

“You might remember that I mentioned this is a temporary den," he said.

“...Yes. Yes, I do."

“Well, then. Look, over there."

A clawed finger rose, pointing at a couple willow trees not too far from the cave.

“Beyond those twin willow trees lies the entrance to Howling Grove, where my pack lives. It is the place I wish to take you to. It is where you will be free."

“Howling Grove..." echoed Elise, slowly approaching the willow trees.

“Yes, and once I have taken you there, I will have fulfilled the promise I made to you; that I would take you somewhere where you will never be hurt again. But there is one problem..."

“Oh? A problem, you say?" she asked as she tried to glimpse at what lay beyond the willow trees.

“The gate to Howling Grove is right there in plain sight, but you cannot see it, for our great silver mother has made it so that only us lycca may see it. Were you to try walking past those trees now, you would simply end up lost somewhere in the forest, and then not even I could help you."

“...Oh," she gasped, quickly retreating to the cave's mouth.

“Indeed, the gate will not accept you unless it sees that a lycca has linked his soma to yours."

“Linked? How does one even—"

And then she froze. Fang knew what she was thinking, and so he continued:

“Yes, it is true that mating with me would link our somas forever, and the gate would grant you passage to Howling Grove. But there are other ways to form a bond with a lycca that don't involve mating. Two other ways, to be exact. Would you like me to tell you what they are?"

“I... W-well, yes. Tell me. At the very least, I suppose it won't hurt to know."

“Very well. One of the ways is by having you become a child of the moon in body and soul, through a ritual called 'The Offering of the Fangs'. It will change you permanently, awakening your senses to the truths of the forest. You will even gain the ability to transform, just like we do. However, for this to happen, a lycca must sink his fangs into your flesh. It is painful, but—"

“Oh, god, no! Anything but that!" she exclaimed, horrified. “I don't want you biting me! Not you or anyone else! I don't even want to imagine those enormous fangs of yours anywhere near my skin!"

“Understandable. Well, the other way might be more to your liking, as it is entirely painless. It is an ancient soma-linking ritual called 'tongue-bonding'. It involves—"

“OH, MY GOD!"

Flustered, Elise turned around, walked into the cave and sat down on the ground, utterly mortified. She didn't even turn to look at Fang as he entered the cave himself.

“Yes, I understand that this might be overwhelming for you," he said. “Perhaps too much has happened too fast, but I know of no other ways for vanni and lycca to link their somas together."

“Why must we, though?" she asked, raising the tone of her voice. “Do I really have to go to that place? Can you not save me any other way?"

Fang sighed. Then he sat down.

“The hard truth is that unawakened vanni cannot survive in the forest for long. Without lycca senses or the protection of Mother Moon, sooner or later you will succumb to one of the countless ways in which these untamed lands keep humans at bay. Perhaps you will starve to death, or a disease may claim your life. Or perhaps a snake will poison you, or you might drown in the rushing waters of the nearby river. I can protect you from many of these things, but I cannot protect you from everything. Besides, I must return to my pack at some point. They are my brothers and they need me, just like I need them. I cannot stay here forever, Elise-vanni."

Even more conflicted than before, the poor girl remained silent. She saw that Fang had a point. She saw it and she hated it. So, her options were to either allow the werewolf to be intimate with her, or... to wait until the forest inevitably claimed her life one way or another. Or she could try returning to the village... Though with Mordrick's blood on her hands and an unlikely story to tell, that seemed like a terrible idea. No one would believe she had met a friendly werewolf! Why, they would undoubtedly accuse her of lycanthropy and commit her to an asylum for even suggesting that!

“It is late. Perhaps you should try to get some sleep. It has been a long day for you after all," advised Fang as he lay down on his side of the cave. “We may continue talking about these matters tomorrow, once we are both well-rested."

Again, Fang was right. She was tired and she needed to rest. Elise understood this. And thus, lying down on her side and resting her head on her arms, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. But sleep would not come easily to her on that night...

~*~

Turning and tossing.

Tossing and turning.

The unyielding, gravelly ground made any position uncomfortable. It was like trying to sleep on a carpet of pebbles spread over a slab of stone. Not helping matters, the temperature outside had dropped considerably, and a cold breeze had begun to blow into the cave.

Oh, how she missed her bed. And her home, and her mother. How she missed those simpler times, when her only worries were whether her plants were receiving the proper amount of sunlight or not. Ah, her garden. She missed it too. She missed her jasmines and her hyacinths; her chrysanthemums and her tulips, and all the other flowers she had grown with so much care and effort.

But it was all gone.

Now, all she had was a torn blouse, a dress that used to be white and a pair of worn down sandals... and the company of a werewolf who seemed to care deeply about her. A werewolf who appeared not to be bothered by either the chilly air or the rocky soil upon which he lay. Lucky werewolf...

Ah, Fang. What was she going to do with him? Or, rather, what was he going to do with her? He was such an imposing beast; a half-man, half-wolf creature of the night who might have doubled her in height, if he wasn't hunched over in a perpetual predatory prowl. With sizable claws made to rend flesh and a thick coat of dark, wolfish fur that did little to conceal the fearsome muscle underneath, he was truly a nightmarish sight to behold. And yet he was so gentle... Certainly, Fang was not at all like the werewolves in her storybooks. How could something so frightening be so genuinely kind?

The temperature dropped a few degrees more...

“You are struggling to sleep, Elise-vanni," he quietly said. “I should have expected this. Nights can be quite cold at this time of the year, especially for one without fur."

“Y-you are n-not f-freezing?" she asked through clattering teeth.

“I am not. My fur keeps me warm," he simply said.

“L-l-lucky you..."

“Elise-vanni... You do not need to suffer this cold. Come. I have enough fur on me to keep us both warm through the night."

Elise opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. The conflict within had frozen her more effectively than the cold could. What to do? What to say? Did she want to freeze? She trusted him, but... did she trust him enough to allow him to be her furry quilt for the night? She would be so vulnerable... but it was just so cold!

“P-p-promise me y-you won't..."

“I promise. Nothing will happen tonight, that you wish not to happen. The desires of a vanni always come before the desires of her lycca."

She was considering it. She truly was considering walking over to the werewolf and seeking relief from the cold in his fur. 'I can trust him,' she repeated to herself in her mind. 'I can trust Fang.'

And so she did. She walked over to the lupine beast and carefully lay down next to him. Fang, in turn, enveloped her smaller form with his strong, muscular arms, pulling her closer to him. Within seconds, his thick, dark fur became her entire world. It surrounded her completely. It told her he would protect her. It told her she was safe.

Thus lay the beauty and the beast. There, in that cold cave, vanni and lycca were alone no more. They were apart no more. His arms held her securely. Protectively. Like a devout knight would. She felt his warmth washing over her whole body, quickly snuffing out the cold. Not even the roughness of the rocky ground was a problem anymore, as Fang's all-encompassing body shielded her even from that. Wolf was all, and all was wolf.

And it was then that a thought occurred to Elise. As her head rested snugly over the fur in his broad chest, she noticed something: Fang smelled nice.

Indeed, Fang's scent was not at all what she had expected. There was nothing foul about it. On the contrary, it was a soft, pleasant smell, like that of morning dew. It was the gentle smell of nature, of wet earth, of grass and trees. The smell of sunrises and sunsets, and of running free in the fields. It was, she thought, the smell of freedom itself.

“Your fur... It smells so nice," she said absent-mindedly.

“I too find your scent very pleasing, Elise-vanni," he said in turn. “Especially now that I can appreciate it without the scent of fear obscuring it."

“You are right..." she realized. “I'm not scared anymore. I'm lying here, in the clutches of a huge werewolf, and I'm not scared. How odd is that?"

“It is simply the truth of this world; that vanni and lycca were made for each other."

“Ah, yes. I think I'm starting to see that now."

A brief pause, and then:

“Thank you for trusting me, Elise-vanni. It means everything to me."

“No, thank you for being so patient with me, Fang."

No more words were spoken that night. They simply remained there, silently basking in the warmth and scent of one another. And that's how Elise fell asleep that night; in the arms of a werewolf.

~*~

Elise's eyes opened to a brand new day. Gone was the cold of the night. Gone were her worries as well. Somehow, someway, she felt at peace.

“You have slept well, I hope?" asked Fang.

“Yes, I... don't think I've ever slept better," she replied. “How about you?"

“We lycca are nocturnal, but I did sleep for an hour or two," he explained. “I will change back to my feral form now. We usually like spending the day as wolves."

“N-no, wait..." said the girl suddenly, causing the werewolf's ears to twitch and stand at attention. “Don't change back just yet."

“Very well. I... will not, if so you desire."

Elise looked into Fang's glowing amber eyes for a few moments.

“Fang, you... would stay by my side even if I... even if we didn't bond our souls, wouldn't you?"

“I would."

“So... you would abandon your pack... for me?"

“I would. The desires of a vanni—"

“...'always come before the desires of her lycca,' yes, I know. I remember that. But that's so unfair. I... I'm not that special, Fang. You are special. I'm just a pathetic human who would be dead by now if it wasn't for you."

“So would I. Do not forget that you saved my life as well, Elise-vanni. You are special."

She sighed.

“Fine. I suppose I'm at least special enough to have heard 'the call of the forest,' as you called it. But what good does that do me when I can't actually survive living in the forest without you? I don't want to keep you away from your pack, Fang. You say my wants override yours, but I think your wants are important too."

“I appreciate that you think so. But, yes, it is true that life in the forest for unawakened humans is harsh and unforgiving without the senses of a lycca and the protection granted by Mother Moon. I wish there was another way, but..."

“...but I either soul-bond with you or we will both be miserable, right?" she completed.

“...I am sorry..."

Another sigh.

“I'll do it," she said quietly. “I'll soul-bond with you."

“You would?" he said; his wolf ears perked.

“Yes. I decided it last night, while I was in your arms."

Swish-swish, swish-swish, went the werewolf's long, bushy tail, its fur sweeping the ground under it. Elise couldn't stop a chuckle of amusement from escaping through her lips.

“Your tail..." she said, smiling. “You're just a big puppy, aren't you, Fang?"

“Ah, I— I am sorry. I cannot control that," he said, somewhat flustered, as he reached behind himself and grabbed hold of his own tail to keep it from wagging. “I mean not to offend."

“I'm not offended. I just think it's cute."

Elise moved one step closer, her own cheeks growing hotter.

“I don't think I want to be bitten, a-and I'm not sure if I'm ready to let you... Y-you know..." she said, her face burning. “So, I... I think that only leaves us one option..."

“The tongue-bonding ritual..." he said as he slowly knelt down and raised his lupine head in order to be level with Elise.

“So, I, uh... I have to kiss you, r-right?" she nervously said as she looked at the big wolf face in front of her. “Oh, lord... T-this is going to be so weird."

“Do not worry. We will go at your own pace," he gently reassured her.

A trembling hand slowly rose, reaching toward the face of the werewolf. Finally, her fingers grazed the fur on the side of his face. It felt very soft to the touch. Soon, that same hand was caressing that large canine visage, gingerly exploring its furred features. Her delicate fingers eventually slid along his long muzzle, feeling his soft, black lips... the very same lips that would soon be pressed against her own.

“C-can you... open your mouth... j-just a bit?" she asked, feeling the burn on her cheeks growing hotter still.

And Fang opened his mouth for her. His lips parted, revealing the maw of the werewolf. Big carnivorous teeth came to light; chiefly among them, the four long, sharp canines at each side of his jaws. The sight of them made her heart skip a beat. What big teeth he had, indeed. 'All the better to eat me with,' Elise thought to herself.

And, of course, there was that tongue. That long, moist tongue, so undoubtedly canid in shape. She slid her fingers along its length, feeling its texture. It was so soft and pliable. 'I can't believe I'm doing this,' she thought as she leaned in, closing her eyes and parting her quivering lips...

Finally, he leaned in himself and pressed his lips to hers; his large clawed hands holding her securely as his broad tongue invaded her mouth, filling it fully, completely, passionately, effortlessly wrestling her own tongue to submission. But Elise did not protest. She did not try to pull back. She simply allowed Fang's powerful, dominating tongue to explore her mouth however he wished.

Eventually, Fang pulled back, slowly withdrawing his tongue from Elise's mouth. She just gasped quietly; her mind an overwhelming whirlwind of emotion. All was wolf, and wolf was all.

“It is done," said the werewolf. “Our somas are now bonded."

She just looked at him through half-lidded eyes. Why did he pull back? Why was his tongue not inside her mouth anymore? And what was that strange fire that now burned deep inside her? Something was awakening. Something primal that made her reach out and press a hand on the werewolf's chest. That broad, muscular chest. The same chest she could not tear her gaze away from. It was so strong, so virile, so bulging with masculine power and vigor. And then, she slid her hand upwards toward his shoulder, leaving a trail of parted fur along the way. Then, slowly, her fingers made their way down the length of his arm. Feeling. Exploring. Even through the thick fur she could still feel the strong muscle underneath. It was all so... delightfully enthralling.

Finally, she reached his hand. That large, clawed hand that dwarfed hers. She turned it up, tracing every part of his palm with her fingers. It was a bit rough to the touch, befitting the beastly nature of the werewolf it belonged to, and yet all that roughness was offset by how soft and smooth the pads at the tips of his fingers were. Such a fascinating contrast it was, and she eagerly drank it all in through the tips of her very own fingers.

“Fang..." she said, as she continued to feel the hand of the werewolf.

“...Yes?"

“Do you... desire me?"

A pause.

“T-that... does not matter. T-the desires of a vanni—"

“No," she said simply, interrupting him. “Right now I want you to forget all that, and simply answer my question, Fang. So then, again, do you desire me?"

Another pause. A longer one.

“I... Yes. Yes, I desire you, Elise-vanni," he confessed. “I have desired you ever since I held you in my arms and breathed in your scent last night. I desire you so much it hurts."

“So, you do want to touch me..."

“Yes, I do. I do want to touch you, and more."

Still caressing the werewolf's hand, Elise softly spoke, her voice sounding like warm honey to his ears:

“Let's suppose I gave you permission to do whatever you wanted to me. What would you do? How would you touch me with these big, strong hands of yours?"

That question... It set Fang's painfully inflamed libido ablaze. There was so much red hot desire coursing through his innards, and yet he still managed to keep himself under control somehow. And so he calmly spoke his answer; only the faintest of quivers in his voice betraying the storm of desire ravaging his insides:

“First... I would undress you. I would bare your skin with my own hands. Slowly. Gently. Until you stand before me as you have been brought into this world. And then... I would caress you. I would trace the contours of your naked body. Every curve, every mound, every inch of your smooth, delicate skin, I would worship it all with my fingertips. But my hands would not suffice. My tongue, too, would explore those very same curves and mounds just as thoroughly. I would then hear you gasp and moan my name as my tongue makes your flesh quiver in ecstasy. I would not be satisfied until I have tasted all that you have to offer, and you have known the highest of heights. And... and then..."

“...And then...?"

“Then I would hold you tight... And I would claim you. I would make you mine as I tongue-bond with you again. I would be gentle at first, but the animal in me would not be restrained for long. It would want to breed you. Fiercely, savagely, like a wild beast. But, rest assured, it would not hurt you, for it would still be me. And then, once it would be over, I would lie next to you, so I could hold you in my arms and caress you tenderly for as long as we would wish. That, my Elise-vanni, is what I would do to you, should you wish it."

Elise's response didn't come immediately. Instead, she first brought the werewolf's hand to her cheek, keeping it there as she gave Fang a look that made any more words redundant. And yet she still said; her voice overflowing with sultry desire:

“I wish it, Fang. I want you to make me yours."

And so, in that cave, the vanni and the lycca became one. Everything that Fang had said, it all came to pass, exactly as described.

~*~

Bliss.

It was white and serene, like an ocean of silk.

Elise felt as though she was lying on a bed of clouds, floating somewhere in the sky. Who knew it was possible to experience that much bliss? But she wasn't wondering about that. She wasn't wondering about anything. Her mind was full of white; of clouds and silk. Her mind was bliss.

Fang.

He was the one who did it. He was the one who had her mind explode with bliss. Vanni and lycca were made for each other, he had said before. She had understood the words, but she simply could not fathom the extent of just how true they were. Wonderfully, blissfully, holistically true. But now she knew. Fang completed her, and she completed Fang. Two somas, one bond. One... bond... Oh. But of course. That bond... was love.

“What is on your mind, Elise-vanni?" he quietly asked.

“I... don't know. My head is still swimming somewhere among the clouds," she dreamily replied. “Had I known bonding with you would feel this good, I wouldn't have taken so long to do it."

He nuzzled her face, giving her cheek a few licks.

“We can mate again, however many times you would like," he said. “Well, perhaps no more than fourteen or fifteen times a day. We lycca have our limits..."

She chuckled.

“I could not possibly survive that much bliss!"

After a few moments, as Elise started to put some of her clothes back on, Fang sat up.

“Well..." he began. “The gate of the twin willow trees will accept you now. We can enter Howling Grove together whenever you feel ready."

“No, wait," she said, grabbing his arm. “Aren't you forgetting something?"

“Am I? What do you mean, Elise-vanni?"

“You should know. You told me about the three bonding rituals. And we only did two of them so far..."

The werewolf blinked, stunned. But then, that tail of his began to wag excitedly.

“You... would accept the offering of my fangs?"

“I would. I want to accept you in every way, Fang. Every way."

“Oh, Elise-vanni! I— You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that! 'The Offering of the Fangs' is the most valuable gift a lycca can give to his vanni! You cannot imagine how great it is!"

“Well! Aren't you a bit too excited? I mean, you are going to bite me..."

“Oh, the bite is nothing compared to what you will be receiving in return! But, uh... Yes, I suppose I should not be too overly excited about the prospect of biting you at all."

“So, uh..." began Elise, shifting a bit. “It's going to turn me into a werewolf, right?"

“It is going to do more than that. So much, much more. It will open all your senses, and it will show you a form of freedom you would never know as a human."

“Alright... Though I think I'm going to miss my human body."

“Oh, no, no, you will not lose it! You will be able to change back and forth between your human and lycca-vanni forms at will!"

“Oh!" she exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief. “Well, that's good. It's one less thing to worry about. Now, all that's left is... the bite."

Another sigh, but this one did not give her relief.

“J-just, how... How bad is it going to hurt, Fang?" she asked; the fear palpable in her voice.

“It will hurt. There is no way around that. I have to fully sink my teeth into your flesh, and you will bleed. But the pain will only last for a few moments. Then, once the change takes hold, it will fade away."

“A-alright then. Let's just do this already, b-before I start having second thoughts."

“As you wish. But I must warn you that once we begin, the ritual cannot be interrupted. Even if you begged me for it to stop, I could not release you until it is complete, or else you might end up with a grievously wounded limb and no soma bond to save it."

“I... I understand," said the young woman with a nod. There was a noticeable quiver in her voice.

Thus, after repositioning himself so that he was sitting right next to Elise, Fang turned to her and said:

“Give me an arm, if you would. It does not matter which."

Shaking a bit, she raised her left arm and presented it to the werewolf. He reverently grabbed hold of it with his hands and brought it closer to his mouth...

“I suggest you close your eyes, Elise-vanni."

And that she did, while also turning her head away for good measure. Finally, when he was ready, the werewolf recited:

“Through this offering of fangs, I shall bestow upon you the sacred lycca gift of change. Are you ready to accept it, my brave vanni?"

“Y-y-yes, I am!" she shouted, already grimacing in anticipation of the pain.

“Then, by the holy light of our great Mother Moon, may this Offering of the Fangs be complete!"

And he did it.

Powerful lupine jaws closed shut around Elise's arm, driving sharp canines deep in one fell swoop. Effortlessly they pierced the skin, mercilessly sinking into her flesh. Blood soon began to trickle down her captured arm as a pained whimper escaped through her gritted teeth. Tears flowed from her tightly shut eyes, running down her pain-stricken face. It hurt. It hurt so much. She couldn't bear it. In her desperation she tried to pull away, kicking and screaming, but Fang's grip was unshakeable. She pushed and kicked and begged and pleaded and kicked again... but it was to no avail. The werewolf coldly ignored it all. He had her arm hopelessly trapped in a monstrous vice of pure, relentless pain, and he would not let go of it, no matter what she did.

But then, something happened.

Her tears stopped, and she fell silent mid scream. Something was different. From within, a new force began to expand, taking the pain away. Fang sensed this and opened his mouth, mercifully releasing Elise's tortured arm from the brutal grip of his jaws. Then, he quickly wrapped his arms around her shaking form, pulling her into a tight, fiercely protective embrace.

“You were very brave, my Elise-vanni. You shall hurt no more," he said.

As he held her, the change took hold. From the center of her chest, a thin layer of fur began to rapidly spread outwards. A tail sprouted at the end of her back as her calves and feet grew and shifted, becoming more and more canid-like with each breath. The wounds on her bitten arm closed as the layer of fur grew thicker and darker. Fingernails changed into claws; her hands growing larger and more beast-like as her bones and muscles strengthened all throughout her body.

Unable to withstand the pressure of her expanding frame, the few articles of clothing Elise had on her fell to the ground in tatters, never to be worn again. Then, the ever-expanding fur reached her face, triggering the final stage of the change. Teeth grew larger and sharper as her nose and mouth protruded, morphing into a wolf's muzzle. The rest of her facial features soon followed suit, her black, straight hair becoming a thick mane of dark fur extending down her spine. And then, the change was complete.

Slowly she opened her eyes. Fang was there. He was smiling; his amber eyes glowing with pride.

“Welcome back," he said warmly.

“F...Fang, I..." she gasped, looking at her hands. Her lycca hands. “W...wow, my hands... T-they look like yours now."

Then she brought her hands to her face, to feel her own muzzle and the fine layer of fur that coated it. It was all so strange and surreal, and yet she was not scared. On the contrary, she was in awe.

“I... wish I had a mirror right now," she absent-mindedly said, still absorbed with exploring the canine features on her face with her padded fingers.

“You look beautiful," Fang said admiringly, caressing the thicker fur on the side of her face. “You always did."

Then she tried to stand up, but she stumbled and would have fallen to the ground, had Fang not been there to catch her.

“Oh, m-my legs... I— I can't..." she said, struggling to stand on her feet. “H-how do I... change back to human?"

“Because this is your first time, you will not be able to change back for a few hours. You must be patient, Elise-vanni."

“Oh... So I'll be a wobbly mess for a while, huh? Great..."

“Do not despair. This is normal. Every new lycca-vanni goes through this," he told her. “Your soma is still learning your new shape. But lycca-vanni adapt fast. Soon you will be walking and running like the best of us, I promise."

“If... if you say so..."

“Come, I will help you outside. You have not seen anything yet."

And so, shaky step after shaky step on wobbling canine feet, with Fang's firm hands on her shoulders, helping her keep her balance, the new she-werewolf slowly made her way to the mouth of the cave. Little by little she began to understand how her lycca legs worked, and her feet gradually began to lose their wobble. By the time she had emerged to the outside, her steps had grown firm and secure enough to not depend on Fang to keep her steady anymore.

The outside...

Elise was in awe. So many new sounds, so many new scents... The forest was now like an open book to her senses. The calls of the birds, the scurrying of nearby woodland critters, the fresh smell of the plants and trees, and of the grass she stood on; it all gained a new, fascinating dimension for her. One that simply was not accessible to her before the change.

“This, my Elise-vanni, is what it means to be awakened," said Fang as he stood by her side. “Now that you are one with the forest, its secrets are laid bare before you."

“It's... beautiful..." said she, still marveling at all the new sensations. “Fang, I had no idea... that this world even existed. I thought I knew what a forest was, but this... I was blind. As a human, I was blind to it all."

“But you are blind no more. Now you are lycca-vanni, and this world belongs to you."

She then turned to him and gazed into his eyes... Hmm, how curious. Something about Fang was different somehow, but she could not grasp what it was. Regardless, a question occurred to her, and she spoke it aloud:

“I wonder... How many vanni complete the three bonding rituals like I have? Not many, I would imagine. That bite was brutal."

“Well, I can say I have never heard of a vanni only completing one or two of them. It is always all three."

“W-wait, really?"

“Yes. Remember that vanni and lycca are inescapably made for each other. In the end, on a primal level you need us, just as we need you. So, sooner or later you surrender to us, and we surrender to you in return. The forces that bind us together are just that strong."

“Huh..." she said, her expression drooping somewhat. “What you're saying is that you always knew I would surrender to you completely, from the moment we first met. You knew I had no say in it. It would simply happen, because there never existed another way..."

“No, Elise-vanni. The magnetic pull between vanni and lycca is strong, yes, but it does not override free will. I only presented you with the option, but the final choice was and had always been yours, as it should be. In fact, some vanni have rejected all three rituals. It has happened."

“But... didn't you just say that every single one of them did all three?"

“No. Every one of them who tried at least one of the rituals eventually completed all three. In the end, the three rituals are so closely linked together they might as well just be one and the same."

“Oh..."

“Regardless, this magnetic pull that I speak of goes both ways with equal intensity. I was also as drawn to you as you were to me, especially after having spent all of last night breathing in your scent while you breathed in mine. Scents can communicate many things words cannot convey. They can speak directly to our cores. That's why I believe they were what sealed our destiny together, because by the time the sun rose today, I knew I could no longer live without you, Elise-vanni."

“I... think you are right," said the she-werewolf, meeting Fang's eyes again. “When I woke up this morning, I thought the same thing."

“Ah, it does not really matter how it all came to be, I believe. What truly matters is that we are standing here, together, soma-linked, just gazing into one another's eyes..." he said. “What I am trying to say is... I love you, Elise-vanni. I love you, and I want nothing more than to make you happy beyond your wildest dreams."

His amber eyes... There was genuine sincerity in them. She could trust him. She could trust Fang.

“I love you too, Fang. I love you, and only you. And I..."

She tenderly stroked his furry lupine cheek as she leaned in, her lips parting... and that's when she finally realized what was different about her lycca mate. It was such a silly little thing that ultimately made her chuckle a bit.

“Fang," she said. “I just noticed... I'm almost as tall as you are now!"

The werewolf's ears flicked confusedly for a moment, and then he just laughed.

“Indeed you are!" he said, amused by the unexpected observation.

“Heh, so I no longer need to raise my head to meet your eyes! ...Or to tongue-bond with you," she added with a sultry smile.

“Oh, we will tongue-bond, but not now," he said, causing her smile to change into a pout. “There is one more thing I must show you first."

“Oh? One more thing, you say? What is it? What could be more important than tongue-bonding?"

“Simply put, you have not yet experienced the true gift we grant our vanni through the Offering of the Fangs."

“Oh, god... Should I be afraid? You aren't going to bite me again, are you?"

“Oh, no, no, absolutely not!" he emphatically said. “Here, this is what I want you to do. First, drop to your knees, then put your hands on the ground, like so."

He followed this by performing those actions himself, as if to demonstrate them to her.

“Hmmm... Alright," said Elise, only slightly suspicious, before doing as he asked. “Okay, now what?"

“Now, close your eyes and clear your mind," he instructed. “I want you to focus on what your other senses tell you. Focus on the texture of the grass under your palms. Focus on the breeze that caresses your fur. Smell the scent of the earth under you. Do not open your eyes. Keep them closed. Hear your other senses as they speak to you. And also listen to your soma. Can you feel it resonating with the nature that surrounds you? Listen to it, Elise-vanni. Listen to what it tells you."

Elise tried doing as Fang instructed, but she wasn't sure what he was even trying to accomplish. Regardless, she did keep her eyes closed as she focused on all the sensations and the scents that her heightened lycca senses picked up. She could certainly feel the grass. And the breeze. And the scent of the earth underneath. In her mind's eye she could visualize an almost complete recreation of the scenery that surrounded her, and she pictured herself in the middle of it, lying on her hands and knees, just as she was in the actual forest outside her mind.

“What are your senses showing you, Elise-vanni? Tell me!"

“I see... the grass, the trees, those bushes on my right, and... I see myself too."

“That's your soma! What is it doing?"

“It's just... on its hands and knees, like me. N-no, wait. It's glowing now. It's... I—I'm not sure what's happening. Now the whole forest is glowing. It's too bright! I can't see anything! ... Oh, wait, the forest is fading back in. Yeah, I can see it again. And my soma, too... but— Huh, something is different... It's still glowing, so I can't quite tell, but... It feels different somehow. Like... oh. Is it... resonating with nature, like you said?"

“You did it, Elise-vanni! You can open your eyes now!"

“Huh? I did what?"

Opening her eyes, Fang's lupine visage entered her field of view. He was beaming.

“Oh, I see that you changed back to your wolf form," observed Elise, seeing that the werewolf had indeed reverted to the form she had first seen him in, when he returned her old handkerchief to her the day before.

“I certainly did," he said, still beaming, “and so did you!"

“I... what?"

She immediately looked at her hands... which were now paws! Then, looking back, she saw her very lupine flank and hind legs. As clear as day, she was...

“...a wolf! I... I changed into a wolf!"

“Indeed! Whereas us lycca only possess two forms, lycca-vanni possess three! And now that you have changed into your feral form, you are ready to feel the true meaning of this gift! Follow me!"

“F-Fang, wait!"

But Fang was already walking away at a fairly brisk pace. Elise tried to run after him, but she tripped over her own paws and promptly stumbled to the ground. Then she remembered she didn't know how to walk as a wolf! She had to learn, and fast, because Fang wasn't stopping.

“Hurry, Elise-vanni!" he shouted. “Don't fall behind!"

After some struggling, she managed to command her shaky wolf limbs to lift her body off the ground and keep it there. Then she moved one of her front legs forward, and then her hind leg from the opposite side, and then she would repeat the same motions with the other two. Soon she had taken a whole step forward, and then another, and another...

“Damn it, Fang, wait!"

But Fang was not waiting. He kept walking forward, headed to who knows where. Faster now, Elise pressed onwards, learning her legs as she went. The wolf ahead wasn't too far away. She could reach him. She knew she could. Front-left, back-right, front-right, back-left, and repeat. There was a rhythm to it, and she was beginning to grasp it. But she had to hurry up. What on Earth had gotten into that wolf anyway?

Although her gait was clumsy and stiff, at least she had begun to shorten the distance between Fang and herself. But she knew she had to go faster. Good thing her limbs didn't seem to wobble anymore. Thus, she redoubled her efforts. She was gaining on him. Just a bit more...

Finally, she reached him. But just when she was going to speak some choice words to him, that blasted wolf sped up his pace, leaving her behind again! But she was not going to let him play that game. She, too, upped her pace. Some branch on the ground or something tripped her up and she went down, but she quickly pulled herself back up, gritted her canid teeth and continued the odd chase. Faster, faster, faster still!

This continued on for several minutes, with Elise catching up to Fang over and over, only for the latter to increase his speed every time. And each time she was able to push herself further. The stiffness in her movements was gone, and her gait wasn't clumsy anymore. She would catch him. Somehow, someway, she would catch that runaway wolf!

Before long, the two wolves were running at full gallop, side by side. She had finally caught up to him, and he hadn't attempted to leave her behind again. No one was chasing anyone anymore. Zigzagging through the woods as fast as their paws and feet would carry them, the two lupine beasts just ran head-to-head for the simple joy of running, and nothing else.

“Do you feel it?" he shouted as he gave her the most jubilant smile she had ever seen. “Do you feel the wind on your face? Or the blades of grass brushing your paws and legs as you shoot through them at full speed? This is what it means to be a wolf, Elise-vanni! Savor it! Drink it all in and let yourself run free!"

Fang was right. There was something uniquely exhilarating about simply running through the forest without a care in the world. And that form was made exactly for that. Elise felt as though she could run for hours without tiring. Perhaps she would. She certainly could not find a good reason to stop. Then again, why would she want to? Running like that was just so liberating.

So engrossed was she in watching the plants and trees speeding by in a blur, her swift paws and legs effortlessly dashing through the grass unchallenged, that she didn't notice Fang taking a turn and quietly drifting away from her. It wasn't until a few minutes later that she realized she was running alone.

“Fang?" said Elise as she ground her paws and feet hard against the grassy earth, bringing her to a halt. Looking left and right, she could not find the other wolf anywhere. “Fang? Where are you?" she tried again, louder, but her calls went unanswered. Fang was gone.

And then, just as a shadow of worry began to manifest on her canine face, a blur of dark fur shot out of the nearby shrubbery, leaping straight toward her from a blind angle! It pounced on her, and they both rolled and tumbled to the ground in a big ball of wolf.

“Fang! You scared me!" she said, lying on the grass on her back with the other wolf resting atop her form, the shadow of worry thoroughly dispelled.

“My beautiful Elise-vanni," he said as he gazed into her crystalline blue eyes, lovingly licking the fur on her face. “Did you enjoy running through the woods with me?"

“Y-yes, I did! It was... incredible! I felt like— almost like I was flying! I had no idea this could be so... so much fun!"

“That was my gift to you. It is the gift of freedom. Absolute, complete freedom, the likes of which humans can never know. It is the greatest gift we lycca can grant our vanni. I hope you like it."

“I love it. I don't think I can even begin to explain how much I do, and yet... I love you more," she said, returning his licks. “Please be with me always."

“I will. We are free together," said Fang, his chest slowly descending on hers as he began to straddle her.

“Oh, Fang..." she exclaimed, her furred cheeks flush with desire. Fang's body was pressing against her own, lighting a fire inside her that needed to be quelled urgently. Almost desperately so. “Take me, please. I'm yours," she begged in a whisper. The she-wolf could not wait a minute longer.

Fang couldn't either, and thus, both wolves surrendered to their desires.

~*~

Two or three hours later, as the sun approached the summit of the sky, two content wolves quietly walked through the forest, slowly making their way back to the cave. There was no rush. They had all the time in the world.

“Ah, Fang..." said the she-wolf, Elise, pensively. “After all that, I might very well be carrying your pups now."

“As a matter of fact, you are not."

“Oh? How can you be so sure?"

“Because, for a vanni and a lycca to produce offspring, they both have to be in their lycca form at the moment of mating."

“Oh, I see. I didn't know that... But I suppose it makes sense," she said before a lewd thought suddenly crossed her mind. “So... what you are saying is, we can mate all we want with no consequence, so long as we are not both in our lycca form at the same time?"

“Oh, yes. Vanni and lycca mates take advantage of this all the time at Howling Grove. Rest assured: you and I are going to be trying every possible combination too. Then, once we both feel ready for it, we can bring a new lycca pup into the world."

“Oh, wow. Every possible combination..." she quietly echoed, already imagining some very scandalous, and yet undeniably arousing scenarios. “Tell me, Fang... Which of my forms do you like best?"

“I love all three of your forms equally, Elise-vanni, for you are equally beautiful in both heart and soul no matter which form you take," he warmly said. “Though, if I truly had to pick one, I would say your original human form has a special allure to it that drives my soma wild with desire. Perhaps it is my lycca instincts speaking, but there is something intensely erotic in the feeling of your smooth, furless human skin sliding under the pads of my fingers."

“Then I suppose that's the form I'll be changing to the most for our matings," she cooed with a smile. “As for me, I can't deny that I love how tall and strong you look in your lycca form. Though I have to admit: your feral form is strikingly handsome as well... and has some interesting perks I was not aware of!"

“I am glad to hear you find both of my forms pleasing, Elise-vanni."

“Ah... I think I'm starting to understand what you meant when you said our soma is immutable. No matter what form you take, it is still you. And I love you."

“Indeed. The love between vanni and lycca transcends forms because it only sees the soma in our cores. That, I believe, is the true essence of the bond that links our somas together."

Before long, they once again stood by the mouth of the cave Fang had called his temporary den. Nearby, the twin willow trees waited...

“So, what's next?" asked Elise.

“Now, I will take you to Howling Grove, where I will introduce you to my pack. Do not worry: they will welcome you with open arms. Then, after a brief ceremony, they will all accept you as one of us. Of course, you will meet the other lycca-vanni as well, who will probably flock to you as soon as they see you. They tend to form strong sisterly bonds among themselves, and are quick to invite new lycca-vanni to the pack, as you will see. In the end, we all are what you would call a brotherhood. Every one of us looks after everyone else. Once in, you will find that you will never be alone again."

“That sounds marvelous, but... I'm never seeing the outside world again, am I?" she wistfully asked.

“Oh— What? No! The gates to Howling Grove are always open to anyone who can pass through them! You can come and go as you please! We all can! It is simply the place where the pack gathers, because it is the only part of the forest hunters cannot ever breach, or even see! You are still as free as you were when we ran through the woods a few hours ago, and you will always be!"

“Oh!" she exclaimed, her expression brightening again. “I'm sorry, I guess I was just nervous!"

“Do not be. I am with you, remember? You can count on me to always be at your side," he said as he tenderly nuzzled her neck in a gesture of reassurance, quickly soothing her nerves.

“Alright. Let's do this," she said with newfound determination. “But first, there's something I just can't leave behind. Wait here, Fang. I'll be right back."

And so, before the male wolf could say anything, the female one entered the cave, emerging only moments later with something hanging from her mouth.

“Oh! Your sacred bandage of healing!" exclaimed Fang.

“...Also known as a handkerchief. But yes! We couldn't just leave this there, now could we?"

Soon enough, Fang and Elise stood side by side before the twin willow trees. Smiling, the two soma-linked wolves nodded to one another and passed through the secret gate, together.

They were happy.

They were free.

The end.

Chapter 1 Galia - year 1149. Far from Roud, in the south-eastern province of Lanea, there once existed a small village called St. Belaroix. It was a quiet settlement of no more than forty or fifty houses, a central plaza, and a somewhat run-down church. Rustic horse-drawn wagons slowly creaked their way along its dusty streets of rock and dirt, as the villagers went about their daily routines. Past the southern border of the village, beyond the point where the roads ended, a thick forest began. Unexplored and untamed, the wilderness stretched for miles into the distance, free from the touch of man. Legends told of strange creatures lurking within, prowling in the shadows, watching over the woods with their demonic eyes, always ready to attack any intruders who would dare disturb their territory with their unwelcome presence. Except for a few hunters eager to prove their manliness on a dare, or the occasional stumbling drunkard, not many had set foot within those woods. But of those who had, two or three claimed seeing those creatures of legend with their very own eyes. Although none could catch more than a fleeting glimpse, they seemed to agree that they were half man, half beast, with piercing amber eyes that glowed in the darkness. Soon, one word was whispered among anyone who had listened to them: werewolves. Everyone feared werewolves. It was said that they were creatures of the dark who preyed upon the weak, with a disturbing preference for the flesh and blood of young virgin women. Whenever the carcass of a farm animal was found torn wide open, it was blamed on them. And any time a woman was reported missing, it was always the unholy work of a werewolf. At one point, an armed expedition was assembled with the intent of entering the forest to hunt them down. For days they roamed, but the search proved to be futile. Not a single werewolf was found. However, more than one man in that expedition later said that they had felt as though there were unseen eyes trained on them the entire time... Elise was a lovely young girl of about eighteen springs of age. She had lived all her life in the outskirts of the village, close to the border past which the mystery-filled wilderness began. Her only family was her mother, a seamstress with whom she lived in a small house near the end of the road. Youthful yet quiet, she liked spending her time practicing her mother�s craft, immersing herself in the fantasy worlds depicted in her storybooks, and tending to her garden, growing flowers she would later sell for a few coins each. Money was tight, so any extra income, however small, was always welcome. One day, Elise was headed to the main plaza to run some errands and perhaps add a new storybook or two to her collection. The sun shone bright and birds chirped about. Some horses lazily grazed along the road as she passed them by. An elderly neighbor somewhere waved hello to her, and she waved back with a friendly smile. Indeed, it was just a regular day in the village, like any other... until a faint sound coming from the woods caught her attention. Stopping her march, she turned her head toward the wilderness extending past the fence to her left. What was that sound? Did it truly come from the woods? Looking every which way, she saw no one else nearby. Then, she heard it again, and it definitely had come from beyond the trees in the distance! It was a whine; a pitiful whimper, like that of a distressed puppy. At first she tried to ignore it, but... she couldn�t. She simply couldn�t. Against her better judgment, Elise climbed over the fence and cautiously began to make her way toward the woods. Again, another pained whimper reached her ears, spurring her onwards. Soon she walked past a tree, and another, and then four more... Gingerly she made her way around some bushes and yet more trees as the leafy canopy overhead grew thicker and thicker, dimming the sunlight. Just as it began to dawn on her how unwise it might have been to go any farther, she finally saw it. Before her eyes lay a wolf cub, small and vulnerable. A bear trap was clamped shut around one of its rear legs. �Oh, my goodness!� quietly whispered the young girl to herself. Scared, the little cub locked eyes with her and began to growl, baring its tiny fangs. �Easy, easy there,� said the girl as she cautiously approached the frightened wolf cub. �I can take that off, but I need you to trust me, little one.� The wounded cub did not cease its growling, but Elise kept advancing, one step at a time, lowering herself closer to the ground as if to appear less threatening. �I know you are in pain, but I can help you,� she tried. �I can take it away, if you�d let me.� Gradually, the cub�s instinctive aggression seemed to recede. Its growling stopped, and the expression on its face appeared to soften somewhat. Deep amber eyes stared into Elise�s blue ones for long seconds, as if trying to see into her very soul through them. �Will you trust me?� she quietly asked as she cautiously extended a hand toward the cub. Sniff, sniff, went the small ball of dark grey fur as it took in Elise�s scent. And then it gave her hand a lick with a tiny flick of its tongue. The young girl relaxed, seeing that she had managed to gain the trust of the little one. �Alright, let�s take this thing off,� she said as she went to work on removing the bear trap. �I�ll try to be very careful, but it�s still probably going to hurt some.� And so, she grabbed the iron jaws of the trap and began to pull them apart. It took some exertion on her part, but she was able to pry them open just far apart enough for the cub to get its leg off their cruel, unfeeling bite. Once free, the little wolf cub began to lick the injury on its leg. Elise took her handkerchief and carefully wrapped it around the bloody wound, to serve as a makeshift bandage of sorts. �There you go. All better now,� she gently said with a satisfied smile on her face. The wolf cub sniffed at the bandage for a few moments, then cast its amber puppy eyes on her again for a few moments, as if to say �thank you�. Finally, it scampered away into the woods, quickly disappearing among the bushes in the distance. Elise remained there for a few moments more, feeling glad that she was able to save that poor thing. �I hope his leg heals well, so that he can grow big and strong. I wonder who even left that trap here anyway? A hunter?� she ventured. �Hmm, maybe they�re still trying to catch werewolves or something, even though they don�t exist. At least not outside storybooks.� Eventually, she stood up, turned around and went back to the village to go on with her day. ~*~ Three years later... Elise, now a comely young woman, had seen happier days. Times had grown difficult for her, even more so after the death of her mother, who had succumbed a year prior to a rather aggressive lung infection. Even though she had taken odd jobs here and there, money was still tight, and she had trouble making ends meet. On many days, especially toward the end of the month, she would find herself having to choose between paying rent or putting food on her table. More often than not, she would choose not to starve. Her landlord was a sleazy middle-aged man she only knew as Mr. Mordrick. He had a reputation for treating women like dirt, but since he had good connections, he was able to get away with nearly anything. Elise would have liked nothing more than to keep her distance from him, but she needed a roof to sleep under, so it simply could not be helped. �You�re late again, love,� he said through disgusting, yellowed teeth, his breath rank with booze from the previous day. �Ah, yes, money was tight this month, and�� �Yeah, yeah, I know. Money is tight. Money is always tight,� he said dismissively, blowing the smoke of his cigar on her face. �Y�know, someone as pretty as you should have no problem making money. Have you thought about that? I know people who would be more than willing to lend you a hand, heheheh...� She shuddered as she saw the greasy balding man looking her up and down. There was something deeply unnerving in the manner he grinned at her. �H-here�s the rent money, Mr. Mordrick,� she hurriedly said, quickly extending a hand with a number of coins on it while reflexively covering her bosom with the other, as if to hide it from his lecherous sight. �I was just saying!� he said, laughing as he took the money. �One always has to consider all their options, right, love?� Nodding half-heartedly, she quickly stammered her good-bye and left. Hopefully she wouldn�t see that disgusting man again for at least one more month. One day, not too long after that exchange, Elise returned home to a destroyed garden. All her flowers were stomped flat. Every potted plant, smashed to pieces. Dismayed, she asked around, but it was useless. No one had seen or heard anything, or so they claimed. The poor girl was in tears. Her only source of income, gone. Just gone. She�d have to start over from scratch. That month she failed to pay her rent, and again the following month. Even after selling all her books, she still couldn�t gather enough money to pay her landlord and still be able to put food on her table. And as for said landlord... Mr. Mordrick began to visit the poor girl about once a week to accost her and demand payment. However, strangely enough, he seemed more amused than angry, even cracking inappropriate jokes, as if he was enjoying himself with Elise�s plight. The latter was almost at the end of her rope. She could hardly stomach Mordrick�s gross sense of humor and lurid insinuations anymore. And, of course, she never felt safe around him. �I have to leave this village and start over somewhere else,� she resolved. �But I�ll need money. I don�t know how, but I have to save enough to at least make the trip to the next town over. Maybe if I started selling the furniture... Ah, I would even go as far as to sleep on the floor if that meant I would never have to see that disgusting man ever again in my life.� But that was easier said than done. Selling her furniture would have taken her weeks that she didn�t have. To make things worse, Mordrick�s pressure mounted as he began to see her almost daily now... �All I�m saying is, I�d hate having to kick out someone as pretty as you,� said the awful man on his last visit, grinning. �You wouldn�t last three days on the streets, love. That�s why you have to pay.� �I�m sorry, Mr. Mordrick! I�ll pay! I-it�s just� My garden...� �Ah, yes, a true pity what happened to your garden, my dear. A real shame, indeed,� he said with mock concern. �I wonder who could be so nasty as to do such a vile thing? And to think your livelihood depended on it. What a disgrace... *tsk, tsk, tsk*. But these are the times we live in, love! It�s a tough world, and you not paying me on time is no good for my business. You understand that, right?� �I� I do! I�ll get you the money, Mr. Mordrick, I swear! J-just give me one more week, please!� �I already gave you enough weeks, don�t you think? I�m a patient man, but there�s a limit to everything. If you don�t pay up now, you might as well start packing up your things. I don�t have time to deal with deadbeats.� �Please!� she begged with tears streaking down her face. �My savings are gone, and I barely have enough money for food! Please, have mercy!� His odious grin grew wider. �Well... I do hate to see a lovely girl like you crying,� he said, putting out his cigar on the ground and pushing Elise inside the house. �Maybe we can still reach an agreement that will benefit us both.� Closing the door behind him, the vile landlord grabbed a very shocked Elise by her arms. �I can be generous, love,� he said to her. �I can forget your debt entirely! All you�d have to do is one thing, and one thing only...� He put one of his despicable hands on her trembling cheek, caressing it softly as he leaned in. �Be a good girl and take off your clothes.� And that was it. Something inside Elise took ahold of her, and she moved almost by reflex. Before she understood what was happening, her knee was already deep in the man�s crotch. Mr. Mordrick made a strange guttural sound as his face scrunched up, contorting in a pain most terrible. He soon collapsed to the ground, clutching his privates as if his life depended on it. �Youuu... biiitch...� he painfully exclaimed through clenched teeth. Elise did not stay to see the man struggle to stand back up. Not sparing a single second, she ran out of the house, climbed over the fence in the back, and fled to the woods. She ran and ran through the forest, and then she ran some more. The farther away she could get from that horrible man, the better, and so she just ran. Eventually, somewhere among the endless sea of trees, she slowed to a stop and collapsed to the ground. Sitting back against the trunk of a tree, Elise began to cry, her sorrowful tears pouring freely, inconsolably. She sobbed for many long minutes, thinking her life was over. By this point, she had already understood that her horrible landlord had been behind the destruction of her garden. Perhaps he had paid someone to do it, or he did it himself. But that didn�t matter anymore. Mordrick had friends in positions of power, and Elise knew she had no hope of fighting that kind of corruption. Had she tried, chances were she would have had ended up serving jail time for assaulting that detestable man. Truly, she had lost everything, and so she cried her endless lament of anguish deep in the forest. It was already late in the afternoon, and sunlight was beginning to grow scarce. And yet Elise hadn�t moved from her spot under the tree. With both hands on her face, she quietly sobbed her despair out. A rustling of leaves... Elise raised her head. There, among some nearby trees, something stared at her through amber eyes. Instantly, her blood froze in her veins. Concealed by a veil of shadows, she couldn�t quite see what it was. All she could see was a pair of beastly eyes transfixed on her. The young woman dared not utter a single word, much less move a muscle. Frozen rigid was she, as those unblinking eyes continued to gaze at her. And then they began to move. Slowly, the creature walked forward and emerged from the shadows, revealing its form to the frightened girl. �A� a wolf...� she quietly gasped. Indeed, it was a wolf. A rather large one, covered in a coat of dark grey fur. Slowly it approached her, its eyes still staring into her soul. Elise was paralyzed with fear. She knew she had no chance of outrunning an adult wolf, especially one that big. Why, that ferocious-looking beast was almost the size of a small horse! Panic coursed through her mind. Was that how she was going to meet her end? Would its fangs be the last thing she�d ever see, as it lunged toward her throat? But the wolf didn�t seem to have intentions of attacking her. Instead, it stopped its march only a few feet before reaching her, and then it turned to its right. Elise gasped as she noticed something tied to the beast�s left hind leg... It was her old handkerchief! �You... are that wolf cub from three years ago!� she exclaimed, surprised. The wolf simply stared at her. Unblinkingly. Then it reached back and took a flap of the handkerchief in its mouth. With two or three pulls, the bow tying it came undone and the handkerchief fell off the wolf�s leg. And so, the large beast picked up the old piece of fabric off the ground and held it hanging from its mouth. Then it turned its head back to Elise and closed the short distance to her. Once it was right next to her, it simply sat down and looked at her, handkerchief in mouth. �You are... giving it back to me?� she said as she stared at the beast in disbelief. The big wolf simply gazed at her with its striking amber eyes. Cautiously, Elise reached toward the wild creature. The wolf remained still. There didn�t appear to be any ill intent in its eyes, or at least that�s what she wanted to believe. Finally, she grabbed the handkerchief, and the wolf let go of it so she could take it. Looking at it closely, she couldn�t believe the beast had hung onto it for so long. That was three whole years of it being worn on its leg! Might the wolf have been waiting for a chance to return it to her hands? �Looks like your leg healed just fine,� she said as she glanced at his rear leg. It was indeed in healthy condition, as far as she could tell. Only a tiny scar remained, but that was it. �You seem to be doing great, little wolf,� she said longingly. �Ah, but I can�t call you that anymore, can I? You are certainly anything but little now!� Elise had calmed down somewhat. Her tears had stopped. The sun was beginning to set, but she didn�t seem too concerned about it. �I envy you,� she said in a tone that seemed more like a confession. �You don�t have to worry about money, a horrible landlord harassing you, or whether or not you might end up starving to death on the streets. Here, you live free. I am not that lucky.� Again, her eyes began to well up. �My life is over, wolf. I lost it all, and I no longer have a place to return to. I might as well be dead.� The wolf simply stared at her with its silent amber eyes. �Ah, how I wish I could be like you, to just run free in the woods, oblivious to the corruption of this wretched world. But it�s over. I don�t have a future anymore. Now, all that remains is pain.� Her tears flowed freely once more, but the wolf only stared at her. �How I wish someone would come and take me somewhere far away, wolf, so that I could not be hurt anymore,� she said, her voice cracking. �But that�s just wishful thinking, isn�t it? The truth is, the world simply doesn�t care about me. I�m alone, and no one... not a single soul cares enough to hear my voice.� And then she fell silent, shedding her tears of sorrow and despair as she looked into the distance with resigned eyes. But right at that moment, a voice suddenly pierced through the silence: �I care, and I hear you, vanni.� Elise�s eyes snapped wide open in shock as she turned her head back toward the wolf. She was speechless. The large animal was still staring at her, but something was different. Then, before the shocked woman could even think of saying anything, the dark beast began to stand on its hind legs right before her eyes; its whole body shifting and changing into something vaguely human-like that towered above her. Finally, before her terrified eyes stood a tall creature of darkness that was halfway between man and wolf. Strong, broad muscles bulged under a thick coat of dark grey fur, and long, sharp claws made to rend flesh crowned the fingers of big, powerful hands. Truly, nothing could have stopped this monster from tearing her apart, if so he wished. �Come with me, and you will hurt no more.� But Elise couldn�t hear those words. How could she have? Her eyes were filled with the fearsome form of the beastly wolf-demon! The legends were true! What stared at her through the otherworldly glow of those amber eyes was nothing other than a werewolf! �S-stay back!� she begged as she scrambled to get away from the nightmarish creature. Finally, her survival instincts took ahold of her and she began a mad dash toward the border of the forest, hoping against hope that the monster wouldn�t catch up with her before she could reach the safety of the village. Indeed, she wasn�t even thinking about her landlord anymore. Such was the primal fear that had stricken her. But the werewolf simply watched her go, not making even the slightest attempt to give chase to the fleeing woman. Chapter 2 �That bitch... She�ll regret what she did!� muttered Mordrick to himself as he looked for Elise. It was starting to get dark, but the vengeful balding man didn�t care. He wanted nothing more than to make that woman pay for what she had done. He would stop at nothing to crush her beneath his heels and teach her her place. He was making his way through the outer part of the forest with a petrol lantern in hand and a blunderbuss hanging to a side of his belt. The few prints from Elise�s sandals he had seen on the ground seemed to lead into the woods, but the grass had grown thicker the further away he walked from the village, and he could not find any more prints. Yet he still continued his search. �Oh, I�m done playing games with that little whore. She better pray I don�t find her, because if I do, I�ll make her wish she was never born!� As the twilight hours began, Mordrick�s search came to a sudden and unexpected end when Elise herself crashed into him. So scared was she, she hadn�t even seen the man among the trees in her desperate race to safety! �YOU...� he began, grabbing her by her wrist so hard it hurt her. �M-Mr. Mordrick!� she stammered in a panic. �T-there�s a w�� But she couldn�t finish her sentence, as he pushed her face against the trunk of a tree. Then he leaned closer and hissed into her ear: �Now you�ll see what I do to women who misbehave! You better be ready, because this is going to hurt!� Throwing her onto the ground, he put a boot on her back and started to tear off her blouse with his bare hands. Elise cried desperately as she struggled to get away, but this time there was no escaping Mordrick�s ruthless grasp. �Ah, yes! Scream all you want! No one will hear you anyway!� he gloated as he began to unbuckle his belt. And then, a shadow shot through the air, striking Mordrick in the chest and sending him flying off Elise�s back. The young woman quickly turned around to see a tall figure right in front of her, standing on two large canine feet with his back to her. �Run, vanni,� he commanded just as Mordrick stood back up, blunderbuss in hand. �What in the seven circles of hell??� exclaimed the man as he beheld the nightmarish form of the wolf-beast. �You will hurt her no more!� declared the werewolf, and then he howled as he leapt toward the armed landlord, claws extended and fangs in full display of wrathful rage. Elise was in shock. She couldn�t make sense of anything anymore! But as the man and the beast collided in a fierce clash of claws and gunfire, she understood what she had to do. And so she turned to run away, leaving beast and man behind. Another gunshot exploded in the early evening as Mordrick defended himself from the onslaught of the lupine were-beast. He didn�t come unscathed, as there were crimson claw marks streaking across his chest, but his aim was nonetheless true. The werewolf landed on one knee, clutching the side of his body, where his dark fur had been tinted red with his own blood. Not wasting a moment, Mordrick cocked his blunderbuss once more, taking aim at the wounded beast. Letting out another howl, the werewolf dashed toward the man, but he could not reach him before the trigger was pulled. And thus, a third gunshot echoed through the night. Mordrick held the smoking blunderbuss in his hands as he saw the dark monster collapse to the ground. Blood was pouring out from the stomach of the beast, matting his fur. The wounded werewolf no longer had the strength to stand back on his feet, and so he just lay there, clutching his stomach in pain. Mordrick approached him and pointed the barrel of the blunderbuss to his furred chest. �Go back to hell, monster!� he yelled, and then� CRACK!! Mordrick promptly slumped to the ground like a ragdoll. Behind him stood a young woman with a torn blouse and a large rock in her hands! ~*~ �Oh, god...� exclaimed Elise. The werewolf had reverted to his wolf form shortly after Mordrick had collapsed, and appeared to teeter precariously at the edge of unconsciousness. His labored breathing was a testament to the searing pain ravaging his insides. The young girl had tried to drag the lupine beast away from the fallen landlord, but she could only get so far before she had exhausted herself. Even as a wolf, the creature was still quite heavy. �I�m sorry!� she spoke through bitter tears. �You got hurt badly because of me! A-and now you�� �Do not cry, vanni,� said the wolf with his dark, yet gentle voice. �I am not going to die tonight.� �But... y-your wounds...� �Mother protects us. She will heal my wounds,� he calmly stated. �Look, she is already here. She always watches over us with her loving silver light.� And then he gazed upwards. Elise followed his gaze past the gaps in the treetops and into the night sky, until she saw the white disc of the full moon shining above. Its rays reached them both. Soon, the bleeding stopped and the wounds closed, pushing the rounds outside the body of the wolf. The young runaway woman could not believe her eyes! Standing back up on his four legs, the large wolf shook his body from head to tail, then turned to look at his flank. An almost invisible scar was all that remained of the bullet wounds. �Twice you have saved me, vanni,� he said to Elise. �Twice I am in your debt.� And then he bowed respectfully to her, which took her by surprise. Then he turned around, noticing the trail of blood he had left behind when she dragged him away from Mordrick. The latter still lay motionless where he had fallen, some distance away from them. The wolf sniffed the air as he cautiously approached the fallen man. Elise clutched the blunderbuss that she had taken from him as a precaution. Finally, the dark beast stood before the man. Then, after only a few moments, he turned to Elise and declared: �He breathes no more. You are free, vanni.� Elise was horrified. She had killed a man! Of course, that was not her intention, even though it happened because she had to save the one who had saved her... But the knowledge of having taken a life was still a most difficult burden to bear, regardless of circumstances. And thus, covering her mouth with both hands, she dropped to her knees as the wolf calmly walked toward her. �N-no, I... I didn�t mean to� I... I�m a murderer!� she said between sobs. �He was going to hurt you, defile you, and kill you, vanni. I saw the intent in his eyes. He had resolved to end you tonight, after he had satisfied his lustful desires. Cry not for that man, for he got nothing less than what he rightfully deserved.� �B-but...� she sobbed still, �he wasn�t just any man! He had powerful friends! I�ll be thrown in jail for this!� �My offer still stands,� the wolf said. �I can take you somewhere far away, where no one else could ever hurt you again. Follow me, and it shall be done.� And then, the big, dark wolf slowly walked away into the woods. After only a few moments, Elise got up, wiped her tears, and quickly caught up with him. It was not like she had anywhere else to go to anyway. ~*~ Under the light of the full moon, Elise and the wolf made their way deeper and deeper into the forest. Somehow, she wasn�t scared anymore. Despite her being somewhere in the deepest recesses of the forest at night, far away from home, she felt safe in the company of the canid beast. �Where are we going?� she eventually asked. �To my temporary den, vanni. It is only a bit farther ahead. We will be there shortly,� he replied in his dark, but still gentle voice. �Once there we can talk more about what my offer entails.� �Alright, though I must ask... what is a �vanni�? I noticed you keep calling me that.� �You are a vanni, just as I am a lycca.� �Oh...� said Elise as she pondered over those words. �So, I take it that �lycca� is �werewolf�... which means �vanni� must be the lyccan word for �human�! Do I have this right?� �I am afraid you do not. �Vanni� is not all humans. For the most part, �vanni� is only the type of human who is able to give birth to other humans.� �Oh! So �vanni� means �woman�!� �Although it might seem that way, the truth is that there is more to it. I will explain later, once we have arrived to my temporary den.� �Alright,� said the young woman as she kept her pace next to the large wolf. At one point, Elise decided that she no longer wanted to carry Mordrick�s blunderbuss around. She didn�t know whether it still had rounds left or not, but she had no desire to find out. Since she had never handled a firearm in her life before, she was wary of the one she was holding onto. On the other hand, she couldn�t just drop it on the ground, where it could kill an animal unlucky enough to step on it wrong. Luckily, a solution presented itself when the twosome passed by a river. Not thinking twice, Elise threw the weapon into the flowing waters, where it promptly sank. She also took that opportunity to examine her sandals. The two had been walking for a long time now, and her feet began to hurt... Suddenly, the big beast stopped and crouched low to the ground. �Huh? What�s wrong?� asked Elise, confused. �Please accept my apologies, vanni. I did not consider you might not be used to walking these long distances, especially this late in the night, and after shedding so many tears. Please climb onto my back. I shall carry you the rest of the way.� �Oh. Well, if it doesn�t bother you...� �It does not. On the contrary, it would be an honor.� �Alright, if you say so.� Thus, Elise climbed atop the wolf. Truly it was almost like riding a pony, except the fur was considerably thicker and wilder. Once she had settled, the wolf resumed his march. �By the way, my name is Elise,� she told him. �Am I allowed to call you that?� �I� what? Y-yes, of course you are! �Thank you, Elise-vanni. I am honored that you would grant me permission to speak your name.� �I, uh, you�re welcome?� she said, beginning to realize that the wolf seemed to hold her in very high regard, treating her almost as though she was a queen. She briefly wondered if the fact that she had saved him from that bear trap three years prior had something to do with it. �So... I�ve told you my name. What�s yours?� �I cannot say, for I do not have a name yet.� �Oh? How come you don�t have a name?� �A lycca remains without a name until he meets a vanni, and she bestows one upon him. It is one of our most sacred traditions.� Elise raised her eyebrows, confused. �So, you don�t get names until a woman� a human woman gives you one?� �Yes, that is correct, Elise-vanni,� answered the wolf. �Then... would that mean I could give you a name?� �Yes, indeed. And receiving a name from a vanni is a high honor among lycca. Were you to give me a name now, I would be very happy.� �Well... how about �Fang�? It�s short and to the point. I think it would suit you.� �Fang... Simple, yet meaningful. I would be honored to carry that name.� �Then Fang it is!� �Thank you, Elise-vanni. Once more, I find myself indebted to you. I know not whether I would ever be able to repay you, but I promise you I will devote the rest of my life to trying.� �Fang, if you can truly deliver me from the misery of my life in the village, then that would be enough.� �Yes... I can do that, and I will, but... Well, we will talk more about that later. Perhaps after we have filled your stomach,� said the wolf. �Well, I am starving...� �Ah, you will not be starving for much longer. Look. We have arrived. This is my temporary den.� ~*~ The cave was spacious enough to fit the two of them comfortably. Soon, Elise found herself sitting on the ground, relieving the void in her stomach with the jerky beef and fruit Fang had offered to her. The latter simply lay down and stared attentively at her with his wolfish amber eyes as she ate her fill. And once she was done... �Now that you hunger no more, I believe I will explain to you what a vanni means to a lycca,� he said, drawing her attention. �But first, I must offer you my apologies.� �Huh? What for?� she asked, cocking her head as she readjusted herself to better see the wolf. �For being a monster,� he simply said. �I did not mean to frighten you, Elise-vanni. Showing you my lycca form was a mistake I shall not repeat. You have my word that I will never again change into it in your presence.� �Oh...� she said, feeling a pang of guilt. �No, you are no monster, Fang. I was scared, yes, but that�s only because I didn�t understand. But now I know. The only monster in these woods today was Mordrick, not you.� �So... you forgive me?� he asked, showing a hint of vulnerability in his voice. �No, because there�s nothing to forgive. In fact, it�s me who must apologize to you. After all, you almost died because of me.� �Had I died then, it would have been a most honorable death.� Elise then stood up and walked over to Fang, sitting right next to him. �Let�s just not talk about death anymore, okay? That whole thing with Mordrick... I�d rather forget it ever happened,� she quietly said as she extended a hand toward his head, but then she stopped herself. �Oh, I�m sorry, I wasn�t even thinking! I just�� �It is all right. You were doing nothing I would object to.� �So... I can pet you?� �Of course you can. As a vanni, it is your moon-given birthright and privilege.� Elise didn�t quite understand all that �vanni� talk. Fang clearly worshipped her, but she wasn�t sure she deserved such devout worshipping. As far as she knew, she was nothing special. Just another girl of twenty-one springs of age like any other. Yet on the other hand, she had still saved the wolf when it was only but a little cub, and then again when Mordrick was about to kill him. How many other girls her age would have done the same in her place? How many of them would have cracked a rock on a man�s head to save a werewolf? Not a lot, she figured. And so, while pondering over these things, she rested her hand atop Fang�s head and began to gently scratch the fur behind his ears. �You honor me,� he said quietly, lowering his head over her lap and closing his eyes. For some moments they simply sat there, the hand of the girl idly scratching behind lupine ears. �Show me, Fang,� she eventually said. �Hm? What do you wish to see?� �Your true form. Show it to me again. I promise I won�t run away this time.� The wolf was curiously stunned. �B-but... I had promised you that I�� �I�m freeing you from that promise now. So, then, show me your true self again, so that I may conquer whatever fears I might still have in me.� �If that is your wish, then I will do it, Elise-vanni.� �Go ahead.� And so, the wolf walked a few steps away from the girl and slowly began to transform. Elise watched as Fang started to rise on his hind legs, his front ones shifting and stretching into human-like limbs as his muscles developed under his dark fur. His front paws changed into strong, clawed hands while his rear ones turned into larger, sturdier versions of their regular selves. His chest broadened with bulging pectoral muscles, and his abdominals became clearly visible even through the layer of fur. Only his head remained largely unchanged, except for the otherworldly glow in his amber eyes. Elise was stunned, and more than a little bit frightened. Even somewhat hunched over as he was, and with his calves and feet retaining much of their original anatomy, Fang still towered over her comparatively smaller form. The werewolf must have been at least two heads taller than her, and twice as wide! �I smell your fear, Elise-vanni,� he said. �I shall change back.� �N-no, it�s� it�s fine,� she quickly stated, surprising even herself. �I�ll get used to it, you�ll see. J-just give me time.� �As you wish.� Sitting on the ground, perhaps to appear less intimidating, Fang continued: �Though perhaps I should say that neither of my forms could be called my �true� one, for they are both one and the same. Despite what your eyes might tell you, underneath it all it is still me. After all, the soma is immutable.� �...�Soma�?� she repeated questioningly. �Yes. Within every living creature lies what we call a soma. It�s an invisible, intangible body within the body. It�s the core of what we are. I believe the human word for it is �soul�.� �I see...� A moment of silence ensued. �So...� said Elise. �I thought you were going to tell me something about vannis and lyccas?� An uncomfortable rumble from the werewolf... �Ah, yes, I suppose it is time.� It was clear that he was having second thoughts about what he was going to speak next. Elise noticed it in the way he had averted his gaze. Whatever it was, Fang was having a difficult time choosing the correct words for what he had to say. Eventually, though, he began: �First of all, I want you to know that you are safe here. Despite what you will hear me say shortly, you have my word that I will not touch you. I will not even take a single step toward you without your consent.� �Um... A-alright...� said the confused girl, a hint of worry in her voice. She instinctively braced herself, both physically and mentally. �I am afraid there is no easy way to explain this, so I will just say it. We, lycca and vanni, are intimately connected to one another. Lycca cannot exist without vanni, and vanni cannot truly be free without lycca. I believe humans call this a symbiotic relationship.� Elise simply listened attentively with a mixture of worry and fascination as Fang continued: �All lycca are born male. There is no such thing as a female lycca. Therefore, lycca cannot be born of lycca. Lycca can only be born of vanni.� The young woman gasped silently, but said nothing. �And that is why we worship you, vanni. You are the sacred creatures of legend without whom we would not exist. We are honored to be your knights, your vassals, and your servants. We treat you like goddesses because that is exactly what you are to our eyes. It is what you deserve for granting us the endless honor of bearing our lycca children.� Fang said no more. He simply remained there, his gaze fixed on the ceiling of the cave. �Fang, you... You intend to... s-sleep with me?� she asked, her voice now quivering with genuine concern for her own safety. �If by that you mean mating, then the answer is no. Not without your consent, at least.� Again, silence. �But... you thought about it... didn�t you?� she said. �You chose me to... to be your mate.� �Lycca do not choose their vanni. It is the vanni who choose their lycca, just as it was you who chose me.� �I... chose you?� �Yes. You chose me when you shared your woes with me, after I returned your sacred bandage of healing to you. Then you chose me again when you saved me from that crazed man who wanted to defile you. And again, when you accepted to follow me here, to this temporary den of mine. And every time I promised myself I would do everything in my power so that I could be worthy of such high honors. But none of that entitles me to breed you. I understand your body is sacred, and belongs only to you. I am happy just by having you here, gracing me with your presence. I could not ask for more.� And, once again, the silence... Elise had much to think about. Fang clearly desired her, but he didn�t seem like he had any intentions of forcing himself on her. And thank god for that! A beast as large and fearsome as he would have had no trouble at all bending her to his will. Truly, he looked like he could pin her down effortlessly with only one hand. He could have had his way with her any way he wanted, at any time, mercilessly crushing her under his beastly weight while ravaging her with his unyielding animalistic lust. And yet he chose to remain still where he was, just sitting on the ground, silently gazing at the ceiling with his lupine eyes. Perhaps he was waiting for Elise�s fears to recede. He certainly did not want to scare her anymore. �Does this... happen often?� eventually ventured the young woman. �I mean... Do women like me� or �vanni�, as you say, truly accept to sleep with werewolves?� Fang�s ears flicked. �It is said that once a year or so, a vanni will hear the call of the forest,� he explained. �She would come to us, just as you came to me, and we would show her what it truly means to be free. And then...� �...and then?� �Well, she would be born anew, and she would be welcomed into the pack as one of us. A �lycca-vanni�, if you will. But we only present her with the choice. The final decision is and shall always be hers, and nobody else�s.� �...Has anyone ever rejected that choice?� she asked. �As far as I know, only a scarce few had rejected it across centuries.� Elise fell silent. Was she destined to mate with Fang? Picturing that huge beast mounting her was... scary, to say the least. No matter how gentle and caring Fang could be, a werewolf was still a werewolf. It just wasn�t... what nature had built her for, she thought. The size difference between them was simply too daunting. Compared to him, she was so small and fragile. Indeed, he could easily break her without even meaning to! While the conflicted runaway woman was lost in her conflicted runaway thoughts, Fang stood up and headed toward the cave�s mouth. Elise took notice of this rather quickly, and she watched as the hulking wolf-beast approached the opening leading outside, walking on large canine feet. Just his gait alone made it clear how heavy he was. �Come, Elise-vanni,� he beckoned. �I would like to show you something.� After a fleeting moment of hesitation, she stood up and walked over to Fang. Although she still wasn�t comfortable with getting too close to him physically, she reminded herself that the werewolf had given her his word that he would not touch her without her consent, and she wanted to trust him. �You might remember that I mentioned this is a temporary den,� he said. �...Yes. Yes, I do.� �Well, then. Look, over there.� A clawed finger rose, pointing at a couple willow trees not too far from the cave. �Beyond those twin willow trees lies the entrance to Howling Grove, where my pack lives. It is the place I wish to take you to. It is where you will be free.� �Howling Grove...� echoed Elise, slowly approaching the willow trees in question. �Yes, and once I have taken you there, I will have fulfilled the promise I made to you; that I would take you to a place where you will never be hurt again. But there is one problem...� �Oh? A problem, you say?� she asked as she tried to glimpse at what lay beyond the willow trees. �The gate to Howling Grove is right there in plain sight, but you cannot see it, for our great silver mother has made it so that only us lycca may see it. Were you to try walking past those trees now, you would simply end up lost somewhere in the forest, and then not even I could help you.� �...Oh,� she gasped, quickly retreating to the cave�s mouth. �Indeed, the gate will not accept you unless it sees that a lycca has linked his soma to yours.� �Linked? How does one even�� And then she froze. Fang knew what she was thinking, and so he continued: �Yes, it is true that mating with me would link our somas forever, and the gate would grant you passage to Howling Grove. But there are other ways to form a bond with a lycca that do not involve mating. Two other ways, to be exact. Would you like me to tell you what they are?� �I... W-well, yes. Tell me. At the very least, I suppose it won�t hurt to know.� �Very well. One of the ways is by having you become a child of the moon in body and soul, through a ritual called �The Offering of the Fangs�. It will change you permanently, awakening your senses to the truths of the forest. You will even gain the ability to transform, just like we do. However, for this to happen, a lycca must sink his fangs into your flesh. It is painful, but�� �Oh, god, no! Anything but that!� she exclaimed, horrified. �I don�t want you biting me! Not you or anyone else! I don�t even want to imagine those enormous fangs of yours anywhere near my skin!� �Understandable. Well, the other way might be more to your liking, as it is entirely painless. It is an ancient soma-linking ritual called �tongue-bonding�. It involves�� �OH, MY GOD!� Flustered, Elise turned around, walked into the cave, and sat down on the ground, utterly mortified. She didn�t even turn to look at Fang as he entered the cave himself a moment later. �Yes, I understand that this might be overwhelming for you,� he said. �Perhaps too much has happened too fast, but I know of no other ways for vanni and lycca to link their somas together.� �Why must we, though?� she asked, raising the tone of her voice. �Do I really have to go to that Howling Grove place? Can you not save me any other way?� Fang sighed. Then he sat down. �The hard truth is that unawakened vanni cannot survive in the forest for long. Without lycca senses or the protection of Mother Moon, sooner or later you will succumb to one of the countless ways in which these untamed lands keep humans at bay. Perhaps you will starve to death, or a disease may claim your life. Or perhaps a snake will poison you, or you might drown in the rushing waters of the nearby river. I can protect you from many of these things, but I cannot protect you from everything. Besides, I must return to my pack at some point. They are my brothers and they need me, just like I need them. I cannot stay here forever, Elise-vanni.� Even more conflicted than before, the poor girl remained silent. She knew that Fang had a point. She knew it and she hated it. So, her options were to either allow the werewolf to be intimate with her, or... to wait until the forest inevitably claimed her life one way or another. Or she could try returning to the village... Though with Mordrick�s blood on her hands and an unlikely story to tell, that seemed like a terrible idea. No one would believe she had met a friendly werewolf! Why, they would undoubtedly accuse her of lycanthropy and commit her to an asylum for even suggesting that! �It is late. Perhaps you should try to get some sleep. It has been a long day for you after all,� advised Fang as he lay down on his side of the cave. �We may continue talking about these matters tomorrow, once we are both well-rested.� Again, Fang was right. She was tired and she needed to rest. Elise understood this. And thus, lying down on her side and resting her head on her arms, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. But sleep would not come easily to her on that night... Chapter 3 Turning and tossing. Tossing and turning. The unyielding, gravelly ground made any position uncomfortable. It was like trying to sleep on a carpet of pebbles spread over a slab of stone. Not helping matters, the temperature outside had dropped considerably, and a cold breeze had begun to blow into the cave. Oh, how she missed her bed. And her home, and her mother. How she missed those simpler times, when her only worries were whether her plants were receiving the proper amount of sunlight or not. Ah, her garden. She missed it, too. She missed her jasmines and her hyacinths, her chrysanthemums and her tulips, and all the other flowers she had grown with so much care and effort. But it was all gone. Now, all she had was a torn blouse, a dress that used to be white, and a pair of worn down sandals... and the company of a werewolf who seemed to care deeply about her. A werewolf who appeared not to be bothered by either the chilly air or the rocky soil upon which he lay. Lucky werewolf... Ah, Fang. What was she going to do with him? Or, rather, what was he going to do with her? He was such an imposing beast; a half-man, half-wolf creature of the night who might have nearly doubled her in height, if he wasn�t hunched over in a perpetual predatory prowl. With sizable claws made to rend flesh and a thick coat of dark, wolfish fur that did little to conceal the fearsome muscle underneath, he was truly a nightmarish sight to behold. And yet he was so gentle... Certainly, Fang was not at all like the werewolves in her storybooks. How could something so frightening be so genuinely kind? The temperature dropped a few degrees more... �You are struggling to sleep, Elise-vanni,� he quietly noted. �I should have expected this. Nights can be quite cold at this time of the year, especially for one bearing no fur.� �Y-you are n-not f-freezing?� she asked through chattering teeth. �I am not. My fur keeps me warm,� he simply said. �L-l-lucky you...� �Elise-vanni... You do not need to suffer this cold. Come. I have enough fur on me to keep us both warm through the night.� Elise opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. The conflict within had frozen her more effectively than the cold could. What to do? What to say? Did she want to freeze? She trusted him, but... did she trust him enough to allow him to be her furry quilt for the night? She would be so vulnerable... but it was just so cold! �P-p-promise me y-you won�t...� �I promise. Nothing will happen tonight, that you wish not to happen. The desires of a vanni always come before the desires of her lycca.� She was considering it. She truly was considering walking over to the werewolf and seeking relief from the cold in his fur. �I can trust him,� she repeated to herself in her mind. �I can trust Fang.� And so she did. She walked over to the lupine beast and carefully lay down next to him. Fang, in turn, enveloped her smaller form with his strong, muscular arms, pulling her closer to him. Within seconds, his thick, dark fur became her entire world. It surrounded her completely. It told her he would protect her. It told her she was safe. Thus lay the beauty and the beast. There, in that cold cave, vanni and lycca were alone no more. They were apart no more. His arms held her securely. Protectively. Like a devout knight would. She felt his warmth washing over her whole body, quickly snuffing out the cold. Not even the roughness of the rocky ground was a problem anymore, as Fang�s all-encompassing body shielded her even from that. Wolf was all, and all was wolf. And it was then that a thought occurred to Elise. As her head rested snugly over the fur in his broad chest, she noticed something: Fang smelled nice. Indeed, Fang�s scent was not at all what she had expected. There was nothing foul about it. On the contrary, it was a soft, pleasant smell, like that of morning dew. It was the gentle smell of nature, of wet earth, of grass and trees. The smell of sunrises and sunsets, and of running free in the fields. It was, she thought, the smell of freedom itself. �Your fur... It smells so nice,� she said absent-mindedly. �I too find your scent very pleasing, Elise-vanni,� he said in turn. �Especially now that I can appreciate it without the scent of fear obscuring it.� �You are right...� she realized. �I�m not scared anymore. I�m lying here, in the clutches of a huge werewolf, and I�m not scared. How odd is that?� �It is simply the truth of this world, that vanni and lycca were made for each other.� �Ah, yes. I think I�m starting to see that now.� A brief pause, and then: �Thank you for trusting me, Elise-vanni. It means everything to me.� �No, thank you for being so patient with me, Fang.� No more words were spoken that night. They simply remained there, silently basking in the warmth and scent of one another. And that�s how Elise fell asleep that night, in the arms of a werewolf. ~*~ Elise�s eyes opened to a brand new day. Gone was the cold of the night. Gone were her worries as well. Somehow, someway, she felt at peace. �You have slept well, I hope?� asked Fang. �Yes, I... don�t think I�ve ever slept better,� she replied. �How about you?� �We lycca are nocturnal, but I did sleep for an hour or two,� he explained. �I will change back to my feral form now. We usually like spending the day as wolves.� �N-no, wait...� said the girl suddenly, causing the werewolf�s ears to twitch and stand at attention. �Don�t change back just yet.� �Very well. I... will not, if so you desire.� Elise looked into Fang�s glowing amber eyes for a few moments. �Fang, you... would stay by my side even if I... even if we didn�t link our souls, wouldn�t you?� �I would.� �So... you would abandon your pack... for me?� �I would. The desires of a vanni�� �...�always come before the desires of her lycca,� yes, I know. You said that yesterday. But that�s so unfair. I... I�m not that special, Fang. You are special. I�m just a pathetic human who would be dead by now if it wasn�t for you.� �So would I. Do not forget that you saved my life as well, Elise-vanni. You are special.� She sighed. �Fine. I suppose I�m at least special enough to have heard �the call of the forest,� as you called it. But what good does that do me when I can�t actually survive living in the forest without you? I don�t want to keep you away from your pack, Fang. You say my wants override yours, but I think your wants are important, too.� �I appreciate that you think so. But, yes, it is true that life in the forest for unawakened humans is harsh and unforgiving without the senses of a lycca and the protection granted by Mother Moon. I wish there was another way, but...� �...but I either soul-bond with you or we will both be miserable, right?� she completed. �...I am sorry...� Another sigh. �I�ll do it,� she said quietly. �I�ll soul-bond with you.� �You would?� he said, his wolf ears perked. �Yes. I made up my mind last night, while I was in your arms.� Swish-swish, swish-swish, went the werewolf�s long, bushy tail, its fur sweeping the ground under it. Elise couldn�t stop a chuckle of amusement from escaping through her lips. �Your tail...� she said, smiling. �You�re just a big puppy, aren�t you, Fang?� �Ah, I� I am sorry. I cannot control that,� he said, somewhat flustered, as he reached behind himself and grabbed hold of his own tail to keep it from wagging. �I mean not to offend.� �I�m not offended. I just think it�s cute.� Elise moved one step closer, her own cheeks growing hotter. �I don�t think I want to be bitten, a-and I�m not sure if I�m ready to let you, uh... Y-you know...� she said, her face burning. �So, I... I think that only leaves us with one option...� �The tongue-bonding ritual...� he said as he slowly knelt down and raised his lupine head in order to be level with Elise. �So, I, uh... I have to kiss you, r-right?� she nervously said as she looked at the big wolf face in front of her. �Oh, lord... T-this is going to be so weird.� �Do not worry. We will go at your own pace,� he gently reassured her. A trembling hand slowly rose, reaching toward the face of the werewolf. Finally, her fingers grazed the fur on the side of his face. It felt very soft to the touch. Soon, that same hand was caressing that large canine visage, gingerly exploring its furred features. Her delicate fingers eventually slid along his long muzzle, feeling his soft, black lips... the very same lips that would soon be pressed against her own. �C-can you... open your mouth... j-just a bit?� she asked, feeling the burn on her cheeks growing hotter still. And Fang opened his mouth for her. His lips parted, revealing the maw of the werewolf. Big carnivorous teeth came to light; chiefly among them, the four long, sharp canines at each side of his jaws. The sight of them made her heart skip a beat. What big teeth he had, indeed. �All the better to eat me with,� Elise thought to herself. And, of course, there was that tongue. That long, moist tongue, so undoubtedly canid in shape. She daringly slid her fingers along its length, feeling its texture. It was so soft and pliable. �I can�t believe I�m doing this,� she thought as she leaned in, closing her eyes and parting her quivering lips... Finally, he leaned in himself and pressed his lips to hers. His large clawed hands held her securely as his broad tongue invaded her mouth, filling it fully, completely, passionately, effortlessly wrestling her own tongue to submission. But Elise did not protest. She did not try to pull back. She simply allowed Fang�s powerful, dominating tongue to explore her mouth however he wished. Eventually, Fang pulled back, slowly withdrawing his tongue from Elise�s mouth. She just gasped quietly, her mind an overwhelming whirlwind of emotion. All was wolf, and wolf was all. �It is done,� said the werewolf. �Our somas are now bonded.� She just looked at him through half-lidded eyes. Why did he pull back? Why was his tongue not inside her mouth anymore? And what was that strange fire that now burned deep inside her? Something was awakening, something primal that made her reach out and press a hand on the werewolf�s chest. That broad, muscular chest; the same chest she could not tear her gaze away from. It was so strong, so virile, so bulging with masculine power and vigor. And then, she slid her hand upwards toward his shoulder, leaving a trail of parted fur along the way. Then, slowly, her fingers made their way down the length of his arm. Feeling. Exploring. Even through the thick fur she could still feel the strong muscle underneath. It was all so... delightfully enthralling. Finally, she reached his hand. That large, clawed hand that dwarfed hers. She turned it up, tracing every part of his palm with her fingers. It was a bit rough to the touch, befitting the beastly nature of the werewolf it belonged to, and yet all that roughness was offset by how soft and smooth the pads at the tips of his fingers felt. Such a fascinating contrast it was, and she eagerly drank it all in through the tips of her very own fingers. �Fang...� she said, as she continued to feel the hand of the werewolf. �...Yes?� �Do you... desire me?� A pause. �T-that... does not matter. T-the desires of a vanni�� �No,� she said simply, interrupting him. �Right now I want you to forget all that, and simply answer my question, Fang. So then, again, do you desire me?� Another pause. A longer one. �I... Yes. Yes, I desire you, Elise-vanni,� he confessed. �I have desired you ever since I held you in my arms and breathed in your scent last night. I desire you so much it hurts.� �So, you do want to touch me...� �Yes, I do. I do want to touch you, and more.� Still caressing the werewolf�s hand, Elise softly spoke, her voice sounding like warm honey to his ears: �Let�s suppose I gave you permission to do whatever you wanted with me. What would you do? How would you touch me with these big, strong hands of yours?� That question... It set Fang�s painfully inflamed libido ablaze. There was so much red hot desire coursing through his innards, and yet he still managed to keep himself under control somehow. And so he calmly spoke his answer, only the faintest of quivers in his voice betraying the storm of desire ravaging his insides: �First... I would undress you. I would bare your skin with my own hands. Slowly. Gently. Until you stand before me as you have been brought unto this world. And then... I would caress you. I would trace the contours of your naked body. Every curve, every mound, every inch of your smooth, delicate skin, I would worship it all with my fingertips. But my hands would not suffice. My tongue, too, would explore those very same curves and mounds just as thoroughly. I would then hear you gasp and moan my name as my tongue makes your flesh quiver in ecstasy. I would not be satisfied until I have tasted all that you have to offer; until you have known the highest of heights. And... and then...� �...And then...?� �Then I would hold you tight... And I would claim you. I would make you mine as I tongue-bond with you again. I would be gentle at first, but the animal in me would not be restrained for long. It would want to breed you. Fiercely, savagely, like a wild beast. But, rest assured, it would not hurt you, for it would still be me. And then, once it would be over, I would lie next to you, so I could hold you in my arms and caress you tenderly for as long as we would wish. That, my Elise-vanni, is what I would do with you, should you wish it.� Elise�s response didn�t come immediately. Instead, she first brought the werewolf�s hand to her cheek, keeping it there as she gave Fang a look that made any more words redundant. And yet she still said, her voice overflowing with sultry desire: �I wish it, Fang. I want you to make me yours.� And so, in that cave, the vanni and the lycca became one. Everything that Fang had said, it all came to pass, exactly as described. Chapter 4 Bliss. It was white and serene, like an ocean of silk. Elise felt as though she was lying on a bed of clouds, floating somewhere in the sky. Who knew it was possible to experience that much bliss? But she wasn�t wondering about that. She wasn�t wondering about anything. Her mind was full of white, of clouds and silk. Her mind was bliss. Fang. He was the one who did it. He was the one who had her mind explode with bliss. Vanni and lycca were made for each other, he had said before. She had understood the words, but she simply could not fathom the extent of just how true they were. Wonderfully, blissfully, holistically true. But now she knew. Fang completed her, and she completed Fang. Two somas, one bond. One... bond... Oh. But of course. That bond... was love. �What is on your mind, Elise-vanni?� he quietly asked. �I... don�t know. My head is still swimming somewhere among the clouds,� she dreamily replied. �Had I known bonding with you would feel this good, I wouldn�t have taken so long to do it.� He nuzzled her face, giving her cheek a few licks. �We can mate again, however many times you would like,� he said. �Well, perhaps no more than fourteen or fifteen times a day. We lycca have our limits...� She chuckled. �I could not possibly survive that much bliss!� After a few moments, as Elise started to put some of her clothes back on, Fang sat up. �Well...� he began. �The gate of the twin willow trees will accept you now. We can enter Howling Grove together whenever you feel ready.� �No, wait,� she said, grabbing his arm. �Aren�t you forgetting something?� �Am I? What do you mean, Elise-vanni?� �You should know. You told me about the three bonding rituals. And we only did two of them so far...� The werewolf blinked, stunned. But then, that tail of his began to wag excitedly. �You... would accept the offering of my fangs?� �I would. I want to accept you in every way, Fang. Every way.� �Oh, Elise-vanni! I� You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that! �The Offering of the Fangs� is the most valuable gift a lycca can give to his vanni! You cannot imagine how great it is!� �Well! Aren�t you a bit too excited? I mean, you are going to bite me...� �Oh, the bite is nothing compared to what you will be receiving in return! But, uh... Yes, I suppose I should not be too overly excited about the prospect of biting you at all.� �So, uh...� began Elise, shifting a bit. �It�s going to turn me into a werewolf, right?� �It is going to do more than that. So much, much more. It will open all your senses, and it will show you a form of freedom you would never know as a human.� �Alright... Though I think I�m going to miss my human body.� �Oh, no, no, you will not lose it! You will be able to change back and forth between your human and lycca-vanni forms at will!� �Oh!� she exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief. �Well, that�s good. It�s one less thing to worry about. Now, all that�s left is... the bite.� Another sigh, but this one did not give her relief. �J-just, how... How bad is it going to hurt, Fang?� she asked, the fear palpable in her voice. �It will hurt. There is no way around that. I have to fully sink my teeth into your flesh, and you will bleed. But the pain will only last for about thirty seconds. Then, once the change takes hold, it will fade away.� �A-alright then. Let�s just do this already, before I start having second thoughts.� �As you wish. But I must warn you that once we begin, the ritual cannot be interrupted. Even if you begged me for it to stop, I could not release you until it is complete, or else you might end up with a grievously wounded limb and no gift of change to save it.� �I... I understand,� said the young woman with a nod. There was a noticeable quiver in her voice. Thus, after repositioning himself so that he was sitting right next to Elise, Fang turned to her and said: �Give me an arm, if you would. It does not matter which.� Shaking a bit, she raised her left arm and presented it to the werewolf. He reverently grabbed hold of it with his hands and brought it closer to his mouth... �I suggest you close your eyes, Elise-vanni.� And that she did, while also turning her head away for good measure. Finally, when he was ready, the werewolf recited: �Through this offering of fangs, I shall bestow upon you the sacred lycca gift of change. Are you ready to accept it, my brave vanni?� �Y-y-yes, I am!� she shouted, already grimacing in anticipation of the pain. �Then, by the holy light of our great Mother Moon, may this Offering of the Fangs be complete!� And he did it. Powerful lupine jaws closed shut around Elise�s arm, driving sharp canines deep in one fell swoop. Effortlessly they pierced the skin, mercilessly sinking into her flesh. Blood soon began to trickle down her captured arm as a pained whimper escaped through her gritted teeth. Tears flowed from her tightly shut eyes, running down her pain-stricken face. It hurt. It hurt so much. She couldn�t bear it. In her desperation she tried to pull away, kicking and screaming, but Fang�s grip was unshakeable. She pushed and kicked and begged and pleaded and kicked again... but it was to no avail. The werewolf coldly ignored it all. He had her arm hopelessly trapped in a monstrous vice of pure, relentless pain, and he would not let go of it, no matter what she did. But then, something happened. Her tears stopped, and she fell silent mid scream. Something was different. From within, a new force began to expand, taking the pain away. Fang sensed this and opened his mouth, mercifully releasing Elise�s tortured arm from the brutal grip of his jaws. Then, he quickly wrapped his arms around her shaking form, pulling her into a tight, fiercely protective embrace. �You were very brave, my Elise-vanni. You shall hurt no more,� he said. As he held her, the change took hold. From the center of her chest, a thin layer of fur began to rapidly spread outwards. A tail sprouted at the end of her back as her calves and feet grew and shifted, becoming more and more canid-like with each breath. The wounds on her bitten arm closed as the layer of fur grew thicker and darker. Fingernails changed into claws, her hands growing larger and more beast-like as her bones and muscles strengthened all throughout her body. Unable to withstand the pressure of her expanding frame, the few articles of clothing Elise had on her fell to the ground in tatters, never to be worn again. Then, the ever-expanding fur reached her face, triggering the final stage of the change. Her teeth grew larger and sharper as her nose and mouth protruded, morphing into a wolf�s muzzle. The rest of her facial features soon followed suit, her black, straight hair becoming a thick mane of dark fur extending down her spine. And then, the change was complete. Slowly she opened her eyes. Fang was there. He was smiling, his amber eyes glowing with pride. �Welcome back,� he said warmly. �F...Fang, I...� she gasped, looking at her hands. Her lycca hands. �W...wow, my hands... T-they look like yours now.� Then she brought her hands to her face, to feel her own muzzle and the fine layer of fur that coated it. It was all so strange and surreal, and yet she was not scared. On the contrary, she was in awe. �I... wish I had a mirror right now,� she absent-mindedly said, still absorbed with exploring the canine features on her face with her padded fingers. �You look beautiful,� Fang said admiringly, caressing the thicker fur on the side of her face. �But then again, you always did.� Then she tried to stand up, but she stumbled and would have fallen to the ground, had Fang not been there to catch her. �Oh, m-my legs... I� I can�t...� she said, struggling to stand on her feet. �H-how do I... change back to human?� �Because this is your first time, you will not be able to change back for a few hours. You must be patient, Elise-vanni.� �Oh... So I�ll be a wobbly mess for a while, huh? Great...� �Do not despair. This is normal. Every new lycca-vanni goes through this,� he told her. �Your soma is still learning your new shape. But lycca-vanni adapt fast. Soon you will be walking and running like the best of us, I promise.� �If... if you say so...� �Come, I will help you outside. You have not seen anything yet.� And so, shaky step after shaky step on wobbling canine feet, with Fang�s firm hands on her shoulders, helping her keep her balance, the new she-werewolf slowly made her way to the mouth of the cave. Little by little she began to understand how her lycca legs worked, and her feet gradually began to lose their wobble. By the time she had emerged to the outside, her steps had grown firm and secure enough to not depend on Fang to keep her steady anymore. The outside... Elise was in awe. So many new sounds, so many new scents... The forest was now like an open book to her senses. The calls of the birds, the scurrying of nearby woodland critters, the fresh smell of the plants and trees, and of the grass she stood on; it all gained a new, fascinating dimension for her. One that simply was not accessible to her before the change. �This, my Elise-vanni, is what it means to be awakened,� said Fang as he stood by her side. �Now that you are one with the forest, its secrets are laid bare before you.� �It�s... beautiful...� said she, still marveling at all the new sensations. �Fang, I had no idea... that this world even existed. I thought I knew what a forest was, but this... I was blind. As a human, I was blind to it all.� �But you are blind no more. Now you are a lycca-vanni, and this world belongs to you.� She then turned to him and gazed into his eyes... Hmm, how curious. Something about Fang was different somehow, but she could not grasp what it was. Regardless, a question occurred to her, and she spoke it aloud: �I wonder... How many vanni complete the three bonding rituals like I have? Not many, I would imagine. That bite was brutal.� �Well, I can say I have never heard of a vanni only completing one or two of them. Eventually, they will always do all three.� �W-wait, really?� �Yes. Remember that vanni and lycca are inescapably made for each other. In the end, on a primal level you need us, just as we need you. So, sooner or later you surrender to us, and we surrender to you in return. The forces that bind us together are just that strong.� �Huh...� she said, her expression drooping somewhat. �What you�re saying is that you always knew I would surrender to you completely, from the moment we first met. You knew I had no say in it. It would simply happen, because there never existed another way...� �No, Elise-vanni. The magnetic pull between vanni and lycca is strong, yes, but it does not override free will. I only presented you with the option, but the final choice was and had always been yours, as it should be. In fact, some vanni have rejected all three rituals. It has happened.� �But... didn�t you just say that every single one of them did all three?� �No. Every one of them who tried at least one of the rituals eventually completed all three. In the end, the three rituals are so closely linked together they might as well just be one and the same.� �Oh...� �Regardless, this magnetic pull that I speak of goes both ways with equal intensity. I was also as drawn to you as you were to me, especially after having spent all of last night breathing in your scent while you breathed in mine. Scents can communicate many things words cannot convey. They can speak directly to our cores. That�s why I believe they were what sealed our destiny together, because by the time the sun rose today, I knew I could no longer live without you, Elise-vanni.� �I... think you are right,� said the she-werewolf, meeting Fang�s eyes again. �When I woke up this morning, I thought the same thing.� �Ah, it does not really matter how it all came to be, I believe. What truly matters is that we are standing here, together, soma-bonded, just gazing into one another�s eyes...� he said. �What I am trying to say is... I love you, Elise-vanni. I love you, and I want nothing more than to make you happy beyond your wildest dreams.� His amber eyes... There was genuine sincerity in them. She could trust him. She could trust Fang. �I love you too, Fang. I love you, and only you. And I...� She tenderly stroked his furry lupine cheek as she leaned in, her lips parting... and that�s when she finally realized what was different about her lycca mate. It was such a silly little thing that ultimately made her chuckle a bit. �Fang,� she said. �I just noticed... I�m almost as tall as you are now!� The werewolf�s ears flicked confusedly for a moment, and then he just laughed. �Indeed you are!� he said, amused by the unexpected observation. �Heh, so I no longer need to raise my head to meet your eyes! ...Or to tongue-bond with you,� she added with a sultry smile. �Oh, we will tongue-bond again, but not now,� he said, causing her smile to change into a pout. �There is one more thing I must show you first.� �Oh? One more thing, you say? What is it? What could be more important than tongue-bonding?� �Simply put, you have not yet experienced the true gift we grant our vanni through the Offering of the Fangs.� �Oh, god... Should I be afraid? You aren�t going to bite me again, are you?� �Oh, no, no, absolutely not!� he emphatically said. �Here, this is what I want you to do. First, drop to your knees, then put your hands on the ground, like so.� He followed this by performing those actions himself, as if to demonstrate them to her. �Hmmm... Alright,� said Elise, only slightly suspicious, before doing as he asked. �Okay, now what?� �Now, close your eyes and clear your mind,� he instructed. �I want you to focus on what your other senses tell you. Focus on the texture of the grass under your palms. Focus on the breeze that caresses your fur. Smell the scent of the earth under you. Do not open your eyes. Keep them closed. Hear your other senses as they speak to you. And also listen to your soma. Can you feel it resonating with the nature that surrounds you? Listen to it, Elise-vanni. Listen to what it tells you.� Elise tried doing as Fang instructed, but she wasn�t sure what he was even trying to accomplish. Regardless, she did keep her eyes closed as she focused on all the sensations and the scents that her heightened lycca senses picked up. She could certainly feel the grass. And the breeze. And the scent of the earth underneath. In her mind�s eye she could visualize an almost complete recreation of the scenery that surrounded her, and she pictured herself in the middle of it, lying on her hands and knees, just as she was in the actual forest outside her mind. �What are your senses showing you, Elise-vanni? Tell me!� �I see... the grass, the trees, those bushes on my right, and... I see myself too.� �That�s your soma! What is it doing?� �It�s just... on its hands and knees, like me. N-no, wait. It�s glowing now. It�s... I�I�m not sure what�s happening. Now the whole forest is glowing. It�s too bright! I can�t see anything! ... Oh, wait, the forest is fading back in. Yeah, I can see it again. And my soma, too... but� Huh, something is different... It�s still glowing, so I can�t quite tell, but... It feels different somehow. Like... oh. Is it... resonating with nature, like you said?� �You did it, Elise-vanni! You can open your eyes now!� �Huh? What did I do?� Opening her eyes, Fang�s lupine visage entered her field of view. He was beaming. �Oh, I see that you changed back to your wolf form,� observed Elise, seeing that the werewolf had indeed reverted to the four-legged form she had first seen him in, when he returned her old handkerchief to her the day before. �I certainly did,� he said, still beaming, �and so did you!� �I... what?� She immediately looked at her hands... which were now paws! Then, looking back, she saw her very lupine flank and hind legs. As clear as day, she was... �...a wolf! I... I changed into a wolf!� �Indeed! Whereas us lycca only possess two forms, lycca-vanni possess three! And now that you have changed into your feral form, you are ready to feel the true meaning of this gift! Follow me!� �F-Fang, wait!� But Fang was already walking away at a fairly brisk pace. Elise tried to run after him, but she tripped over her own paws and promptly stumbled to the ground. Then she remembered she didn�t know how to walk as a wolf! She had to learn, and fast, because Fang wasn�t stopping. �Hurry, Elise-vanni!� he shouted. �Don�t fall behind!� After some struggling, she managed to command her shaky wolf limbs to lift her body off the ground and keep it there. Then she moved one of her front legs forward, and then her hind leg from the opposite side, and then she would repeat the same motions with the other two. Soon she had taken a whole step forward, and then another, and another... �Damn it, Fang, wait!� But Fang was not waiting. He kept walking forward, headed to who knows where. Faster now, Elise pressed onwards, learning her legs as she went. The wolf ahead wasn�t too far away. She could reach him. She knew she could. Front-left, back-right, front-right, back-left, and repeat. There was a rhythm to it, and she was beginning to grasp it. But she had to hurry up. What on Earth had gotten into that wolf anyway? Although her gait was clumsy and stiff, at least she had begun to shorten the distance between Fang and herself. But she knew she had to move faster. Good thing her limbs didn�t seem to wobble anymore. Thus, she redoubled her efforts. She was gaining on him. Just a bit more... Finally, she reached him. But just when she was going to speak some choice words to him, that blasted wolf sped up his pace, leaving her behind again! But she was not going to let him play that game. She, too, upped her pace. Some branch on the ground or something tripped her up and she went down, but she quickly pulled herself back up, gritted her canid teeth, and continued the odd chase. Faster, faster, faster still! This continued on for several minutes, with Elise catching up to Fang over and over, only for the latter to increase his speed every time. And each time she was able to push herself further. The stiffness in her movements was gone, and her gait wasn�t clumsy anymore. She would catch him. Somehow, someway, she would catch that runaway wolf! Before long, the two wolves were running at full gallop, side by side. She had finally caught up to him, and he hadn�t attempted to leave her behind again. No one was chasing anyone anymore. Zigzagging through the woods as fast as their paws and feet would carry them, the two lupine beasts just ran head-to-head for the simple joy of running, and nothing else. �Do you feel it?� he shouted as he gave her the most jubilant smile she had ever seen. �Do you feel the wind on your face? Or the blades of grass brushing your paws and legs as you shoot through them at full speed? This is what it means to be a wolf, Elise-vanni! Savor it! Drink it all in and let yourself run free!� Fang was right. There was something uniquely exhilarating about simply running through the forest without a care in the world. And that form was made exactly for that. Elise felt as though she could run for hours without tiring. Perhaps she would. She certainly could not find a good reason to stop. Then again, why would she want to? Running like that was just so liberating. So engrossed was she in watching the plants and trees speeding by in a blur, her swift paws and legs effortlessly dashing through the grass unchallenged, that she didn�t notice Fang taking a turn and quietly drifting away from her. It wasn�t until a few minutes later that she realized she was running alone. �Fang?� said Elise as she ground her paws and feet hard against the grassy earth, bringing her to a halt. Looking left and right, she could not find the other wolf anywhere. �Fang? Where are you?� she tried again, louder, but her calls went unanswered. Fang was gone. And then, just as a shadow of worry began to manifest on her canine face, a blur of dark fur shot out of the nearby shrubbery, leaping straight toward her from a blind angle! It pounced on her, and they both rolled and tumbled to the ground in a big ball of wolf. �Fang! You scared me!� she said, lying on the grass on her back with the other wolf resting atop her form, the shadow of worry thoroughly dispelled. �My beautiful Elise-vanni,� he said as he gazed into her crystalline blue eyes, lovingly licking the fur on her face. �Did you enjoy running through the woods with me?� �Y-yes, I did! It was... incredible! I felt like� almost like I was flying! I had no idea this could be so... so much fun!� �That was my gift to you. It is the gift of freedom. Absolute, complete freedom, the likes of which humans can never know. It is the greatest gift we lycca can grant our vanni. I hope you like it.� �I love it. I don�t think I can even begin to explain how much I do, and yet... I love you more,� she said, returning his licks. �Please be with me always.� �I will. We are free together,� said Fang, his chest slowly descending on hers as he began to straddle her. �Oh, Fang...� she exclaimed, her furred cheeks flush with desire. Fang�s body was pressing against her own, lighting a fire inside her that needed to be quelled urgently. Almost desperately so. �Take me, please. I�m yours,� she begged in a whisper. The she-wolf could not wait a minute longer. Fang couldn�t either, and thus, both wolves surrendered to their desires again. ~*~ Two or three hours later, as the sun approached the summit of the sky, two content wolves quietly walked through the forest, slowly making their way back to the cave. There was no rush. They had all the time in the world. �Ah, Fang...� said the she-wolf, Elise, pensively. �After all that, I might very well be carrying your pups now.� �As a matter of fact, you are not.� �Oh? How can you be so sure?� �Because, for a vanni and a lycca to produce offspring, they both have to be in their lycca form at the moment of mating.� �Oh, I see. I didn�t know that... But I suppose it makes sense,� she said before a lewd thought suddenly crossed her mind. �So... what you are saying is, we can mate all we want with no consequence, so long as we are not both in our lycca form at the same time?� �Oh, yes. Vanni and lycca mates take advantage of this all the time at Howling Grove. Rest assured: you and I are going to be trying every possible combination, too. Then, once we both feel ready for it, we can bring a new lycca pup into the world.� �Oh, wow. Every possible combination...� she quietly echoed, already imagining some very scandalous, and yet undeniably arousing scenarios. �Tell me, Fang... Which of my forms do you like best?� �I love all three of your forms equally, Elise-vanni, for you are equally beautiful in both heart and soul no matter which form you take,� he warmly said. �Though, if I truly had to pick one, I would say your original human form has a special allure to it that drives my soma wild with desire. Perhaps it is my lycca instincts speaking, but there is something intensely erotic in the feeling of your smooth, furless human skin sliding under the pads of my fingers.� �Then I suppose that�s the form I�ll be changing to the most for our matings,� she cooed with a smile. �As for me, I can�t deny that I love how tall and strong you look in your lycca form. Though I have to admit: your feral form is strikingly handsome as well... and has some interesting perks I was not aware of!� �I am glad to hear you find both of my forms pleasing, Elise-vanni.� �Ah... I think I�m starting to understand what you meant when you said our soma is immutable. No matter what form you take, it is still you. And I love you.� �Indeed. The love between vanni and lycca transcends forms because it only sees the soma in our cores. That, I believe, is the true essence of the bond that links our somas together.� Before long, they once again stood by the mouth of the cave Fang had called his temporary den. Nearby, the twin willow trees waited... �So, what�s next?� asked Elise. �Now, I will take you to Howling Grove, where I will introduce you to my pack. Do not worry: they will welcome you with open arms. Then, after a brief ceremony, they will all accept you as one of us. Of course, you will meet the other lycca-vanni as well, who will probably flock to you as soon as they see you. They tend to form strong sisterly bonds among themselves, and are quick to befriend new lycca-vanni, as you will see. In the end, we all are what you would call a brotherhood. Every one of us looks after everyone else. Once in, you will find that you will never truly be alone again.� �That sounds marvelous, but... I�m never seeing the outside world again, am I?� she wistfully asked. �Oh� What? No! The gates to Howling Grove are always open to anyone who can pass through them! You can come and go as you please! We all can! It is simply the place where the pack gathers, because it is the only part of the forest hunters cannot ever breach, or even see! You are still as free as you were when we ran through the woods a few hours ago, and you will always be!� �Oh!� she exclaimed, her expression brightening again. �I�m sorry, I guess I was just nervous!� �Do not be. I am with you, remember? You can count on me to always be at your side,� he said as he tenderly nuzzled her neck in a gesture of reassurance, quickly soothing her nerves. �Alright. Let�s do this,� she said with newfound determination. �But first, there�s something I just can�t leave behind. Wait here, Fang. I�ll be right back.� And so, before the male wolf could say anything, the female one entered the cave, emerging only moments later with something hanging from her mouth. �Oh! Your sacred bandage of healing!� exclaimed Fang. �...Also known as a handkerchief. But yes! We couldn�t just leave this there, now could we?� Soon enough, Fang and Elise stood side by side before the twin willow trees. Smiling, the two soma-bonded wolves nodded to one another and passed through the secret gate, together. They were happy. They were free. The story continues in: The Offering of the Fangs 2